SIMFEROPOL, March 20. /TASS/. The Ukrainian authorities seek to copy the West by imposing sanctions on Crimeans, Crimea’s head Sergei Aksyonov wrote on VKontakte on Saturday.

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council earlier imposed sanctions on 27 individuals, including Aksyonov, Crimean State Council Chairman Vladimir Konstantinov, Deputy Chairperson of the Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Natalya Poklonskaya and other Russian and former Ukrainian politicians.

"Media outlets are reporting about another round of ‘maximum sanctions’ that Ukraine imposed on my colleagues and me. This is how Kiev… tries to copy its Western sponsors," Crimea’s head pointed out. At the same time, in his words, "no propaganda and no Western sponsors will be able to save" the Ukrainian authorities when "the Ukrainian people… decide to properly evaluate their actions."

 

Crimean reunification

 

After Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted in a coup in February 2014, mass protests erupted in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. On March 11, 2014, Crimea’s Supreme Council and Sevastopol City Council adopted a declaration of independence.

On March 16, the Crimean authorities held a referendum on reuniting with Russia. Most voters supported the idea (96.77% in Crimea and 95.6% in the city of Sevastopol), with turnout reaching 80%.

On March 18, 2014, Vladimir Putin signed the treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia. Ukraine, the United States and the European Union refused to recognize Crimea’s independence and its decision to reunite with Russia.