MOSCOW, January 2. /TASS/. Crimea is ready to welcome Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko "right now," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said in an interview with TASS.
"As for President Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to the peninsula, the Crimean authorities have repeatedly said that they are ready to welcome him ‘right now’," he noted.
Lukashenko stated earlier that he intended to visit Crimea together with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Crimea’s head Sergey Aksyonov pointed out that the decision "is quite in line with the spirit of fraternal ties between the people" of Russia and Belarus.
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.