Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to Russia’s Foreign Ministry in connection with the visit of a delegation from Russia’s Duma to Russia-occupied Crimea.
“Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry expresses its strong protest in connection with a recent visit of delegates of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, led by its Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, as well as some members of Russia’s government, to the Russia-occupied territory of Ukraine – the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which began on March 15, 2019. A note of protest was sent to Russia’s Foreign Ministry,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on March 15.
The ministry said Ukraine considers this visit and other similar visits by Russian leaders as further steps to legitimize attempts to illegally annex Ukraine’s Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, adding it considers the statements made by Russian officials to be “cynical and frankly provocative”.
“It was the destructive and irresponsible policy of the Russian occupation authorities during the five years of occupation that led to the significant aggravation of economic, social, humanitarian and environmental problems on the peninsula,” the ministry said.
Recent visits to Crimea by Russian officials are a flagrant violation by the Russian side of the state sovereignty of Ukraine, international law, the UN Charter and a number of resolutions of the UN General Assembly, as well as the obligations of the Russian Federation under bilateral and multilateral treaties to which the Russia and Ukraine are parties, the ministry said.
State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin in Simferopol on Friday said Ukrainian authorities have been carrying out a “destructive policy” against Crimea for 25 years and should “compensate the losses” to the peninsula.
