Italy’s Ambassador to Russia about the annexation: Crimea voted for independence

The Ambassador of Italy in Russia Cesare Maria Ragalini said that Crimea voluntarily “voted for independence” and historical ties between Ukraine and Russia should not be ignored. He told about it in interview to the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera.

“Crimea was not the first country that voted for independence in Europe… no One disputes the right of a sovereign state to join or to join international organizations, but there is no doubt that the negotiations of the EU with Ukraine had strong political motives: it was an obvious attempt to clean Kiev from under the historical influence of Russia. This objective the EU has failed. We should not underestimate the historical, economic and family relations between Moscow and Kiev”, – said the Ambassador.

In response, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Italy Yevhen Perelygin made a statement in which he called the word Ragaglini in the Crimea do not correspond to official position of the Italian government, which does not recognize the annexation of the Peninsula by Russia.

Perelygin also reminded that the Crimea is not a sovereign state, and part of the territory of Ukraine.

Russia has occupied the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in 2014 year. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially declared on 20 February 2014 beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia. Key international organizations, including the UN General Assembly has condemned Russia’s actions and called the annexation and occupation of Crimea illegal. Against Russia were imposed economic sanctions. For the implementation by Moscow of the so-called elections with the participation of the Crimea in 2016-m to year the Parliament of Ukraine recognized the Russian state Duma is illegitimate.

22 Dec 2016, it was reportedthat the President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister of Italy Paolo Gentiloni agreed on closer coordination to ensure the implementation of the Minsk agreements, as well as in the case of de-occupation of Crimea.

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