NEW DELHI: Russia did not annex Crimea, but rather extended a helping hand to its people, who were reluctant to remain in a situation creat...
NEW DELHI: Russia did not annex Crimea, but rather extended a helping hand to its people, who were reluctant to remain in a situation created by a coup d’·tat with uncertain consequences, Russian President Vladimir Putin explained in an interview with India Today television.
"We did not annex Crimea. I want to make this clear," he emphasized. "We simply came to assist people who did not want to see their lives and futures left at the mercy of those who orchestrated the coup in Ukraine."
According to Putin, the residents of Crimea recognized that they had become part of an independent Ukraine following the Soviet Union's collapse. However, they did not wish to live in a situation where coups and unpredictable outcomes could unfold at any moment.
"There was a real threat - not just of pressure, but of direct reprisals against the Crimean people. Russia intervened to support them. How could we have acted differently? Anyone who believes otherwise is deeply mistaken. We will always defend our interests and our people," he asserted.
When asked about Russia’s apparent interest in Crimea’s port, Putin responded that there was no need to seize this strategic location, as it was already under Russian control. "Our Navy was stationed there under an agreement with Ukraine - that’s a fact," he noted.
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