KIEV, January 24. /TASS/. Ukraine will lodge suits against Russia over Crime with international courts in the next two weeks, Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko said on Sunday.
"We have stressed our position that Crimea is to top the agenda of our international partners," he said in an interview with Ukrainian television channels. "In a span of two weeks, you will see a number of suits, including related to individual companies, we will lodge with various international courts."
Amid a political crisis and the change of power in Ukraine in February 2014, Crimea’s Supreme Council (parliament) and Sevastopol’s City Council adopted on March 11, 2014 Crimea’s and Sevastopol’s declaration of independence. A referendum on reunification with Russia was held on March 16, 2014. With a record-breaking turnout of 80%, the overwhelming majority of Crimea’s and Sevastopol residents, mostly ethic Russians, (96.7 and 95.6%, respectively) voted in favour of ceding from Ukraine to join Russia. After the treaty of Crimea’s and Sevastopol’s reunification with Russia was approved by the Russian parliament, President Vladimir Putin on March 21, 2014 signed a federal law on admitting two new constituent entities in the Russian Federation.
Despite the absolutely convincing results of the referendum, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union have been refusing to recognize Crimea as a part of Russia.