SIMFEROPOL, March 16. /TASS/. Crimea’s residents have had no qualms about reuniting with Russia over the past nine years, Crimean State Council Chairman Vladimir Konstantinov told TASS on Thursday.

Nine years ago, Crimea and the city of Sevastopol decided to secede from Ukraine following a coup in Kiev. On March 16, 2014, a referendum took place where most voters supported the idea of reuniting with Russia (96.77% in Crimea and 95.6% in Sevastopol), with voter turnout reaching 80%. However, the Kiev authorities and Western nations refused to accept the choice of the region’s people.

"Nine years have passed, and the people on the peninsula haven’t changed their mind. So the Crimea issue does not exist in terms of real politics. It exists only in the minds of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his associates," Konstantinov pointed out.

"What we are now going through with the special operation is part of the journey that began in 2014. I believe that we did everything right nine years ago. Crimea set an example for the new regions," he added.

Meanwhile, authorities in the West haven’t changed their policy towards Crimea, the official emphasized. "European parliament members have made visits to the peninsula. French lawmakers came here three times. However, this does not impact actual policies," Konstantinov noted. Still, in his view, the visits of foreign delegations have made it possible to break through the information blockade. "The press in the US, Norway, Germany and France published materials about Crimea. It influences common opinion and the atmosphere is changing," the Crimean official said.