Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a referendum to be held in Ukraine’s separatist region of Crimea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a referendum to be held in Ukraine’s separatist region of Crimea. The announcement comes just days after the European Union and United States imposed sanctions on Russia following its involvement in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
The Kremlin leader said he wanted to hear from Crimeans about their future. “We have heard the residents of Crimea, we will hear them,” he said.
What is happening in Ukraine?
The Crimean Peninsula is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea and is officially part of Ukraine. The area was annexed by Russia in 2014, which led to an international dispute over whether or not it was an illegal annexation. Since then, Russia has been accused by Ukrainian authorities of trying to destabilise their country by supporting pro-Russian separatists with arms and soldiers. The situation came to a head when former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a nerve agent called Novichok earlier this year.
What did Putin say?
In response to these sanctions, Putin said that he would like Crimeans who voted for independence from Ukraine during a referendum four years ago (which was not recognised internationally) should decide whether they want their territory back under Russian control or remain part of Ukraine.
Why does Putin want Crimea?
Crimea used to be part of Russia until 1954 when it was gifted as a “gift” from Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). In March 2014, after protests against President Viktor Yanukovych turned violent, Russian troops seized control over Crimea without firing a shot. This led many people around the world, including some EU leaders at the time, to question whether or not this was an illegal annexation.
