MOSCOW, August 1. /TASS/. Time is ripe for Ukraine to agree that Crimea has reunited with Russia and this is an accomplished fact, a group of French lawmakers told a news conference at TASS after visiting Crimea with a delegation on July 29-31.
A member of France’s National Assembly from the Republicans, co-chair of the Franco-Russian dialog association, Thierry Mariani said that in his opinion Crimea’s reunification with Russia was an accomplished fact.
"We could’ve dedicated ourselves to something else, we could’ve changed the agenda," he said. "Several years more may be spent on arguing whether the referendum matched the reality or not. But this pastime will be useless. ‘The mass is over’, as a French saying goes. Other issues demand attention, the more so since more people are losing lives in Donbass."
French parliament member Jacques Myard urged the Ukrainian authorities to face the facts and reconcile themselves with the realities.
"No sanctions will force a great power to change its stance. The day will come to make the proper conclusions," he added. "The sooner that happens, the better it will be for Russia and Ukraine, as well as for France and Europe."
A group of French parliament members under Mariani toured Crimea on July 29-31 to meet with the local authorities and the population. This is their second visit to the peninsula. State Duma member Leonid Slutsky accompanied his French counterparts, just as he did a year ago.