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Diplomat on US statements about Crimea: Russia does not give its land away

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has commented on White House spokesman's remark Donald Trump "has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to return Crimea"
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, February 15. /TASS/. Crimea is Russian territory and Russia does not give away its territories, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said about White House spokesman Sean Spicer’s remark Donald Trump "has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate the violence in Ukraine and return Crimea."

"We do not give our territories away. Crimea is a territory of the Russian Federation," she said.

The authorities of Crimea and Sevastopol on March 16, 2014 held referendums on the issue of reunification with Russia. More than 80% of those eligible to vote cast their ballots. An overwhelming majority of 96.75% and 95.6% respectively voted for reunification. On March 18, 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a treaty on readmission of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. The Federal Assembly ratified it on March 21. In defiance of the convincing returns from the referendum Kiev has refused to recognize Crimea as Russian territory.