Russia has sufficient resources to resolve the problems of the Crimean Tatar people and of all of Crimea, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“That the problems were not dealt with earlier was due to Ukraine’s economic situation and the fact that Crimea was technically made a loss-making territory, with Crimean Tatars carrying the can,” Putin said at a meeting with Crimean Tatars on may16.
“It was not deliberate, it was not because of a good life, but because other territories which were in an even more difficult situation had to be supported with funding,” said the head of state.
“We have the resources, the government reserves, which significantly exceed all the Crimean needs not only in this but also subsequent years,” Putin said.
The Russian president urged the meeting attendees “to approach professionally the preparation of the Crimean development program.” “There is never too much money. We need to approach this thriftily and effectively. And we need this development program to incorporate the interests of the Crimean Tatar people,” Putin said.
