Crimea Supreme Council speaker Vladimir Konstantinov delivered a statement in which he denied media claims that the extraordinary session of parliament that had been due today was expected to “make radical decisions”, up to Crimea’s secession from Ukraine.
“The Crimean parliament does not raise the issue of secession from Ukraine,” Konstantinov said. “It’s a provocation aimed at discrediting the autonomy’s Supreme Council and depriving it of its legitimacy.” He called on Crimean residents to “stay calm.”
After reports that the extraordinary session was put off, the leader of the Crimean Tatars’ Mejlis (national assembly), Rifat Chubarov, declared “Crimea’s victory” and called on his supporters to leave the scene. It was not clear what “victory” exactly he was speaking of. A representative of the Russian community who spoke after him said “mosques, churches and synagogues” should be protected by joint efforts.