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Crimea and Sevastopol

Servicemen loyal to Ukraine will not be forced to swear allegiance to Crimea

Those who cannot accept Crimean independence and remain loyal to the Ukrainian state will not be persecuted, says Crimea’s parliament Speaker Volodymyr Konstantinov

Ukrainian troops in Crimea EPA/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

Ukrainian troops in Crimea

© EPA/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

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Ukraine’s state property in Crimea turned into republic’s property by parliament

SIMFEROPOL, March 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Crimea’s parliament Speaker Volodymyr Konstantinov said on Monday that servicemen who remained loyal to Ukraine would not be persecuted and would have a chance to leave the peninsula, the parliamentary press service reports.

“Those who cannot accept Crimean independence and remain loyal to the Ukrainian state will not be persecuted,” the press service quotes Konstantinov as saying.

“Servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will have an alternative, either to swear allegiance to the Republic of Crimea and serve on the peninsula or continue their army service outside the peninsula as part of the Ukrainian army,” the parliament stressed.

Konstantinov explained that the same principle would be applied to law enforcers and other public servants who had sworn their allegiance to Ukraine.

“No one is going to be forced to re-take the oath,” Konstantinov said.

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Referendum in Crimea

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