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Ukraine’s foreign ministry voices protest over Putin’s trip to Crimea

The Ukrainian side considers Russian officials’ visits to Crimea and Sevastopol "a gross violation of Ukraine’s state sovereignty and territorial integrity"

KIEV, July 20. /TASS/. Ukraine’s foreign ministry has voiced protest over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Crimea.

"Due to the illegal visit of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on July 20, 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine voiced strong protest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation," said the Ministry’s statement on Monday.

The Ukrainian side, the agency added, considers Russian officials’ visits to Crimea and Sevastopol "a gross violation of Ukraine’s state sovereignty and territorial integrity."

After the coup d’etat in Ukraine in February 2014, Crimea and Sevastopol held a referendum in March 2014, in which 96.7% of Crimean and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters chose to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. Eighty percent of the voting population participated in the referendum. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the reunification deal on March 18, 2014, which the Federation Council (upper house of the Russian parliament) ratified on March 21, 2014. Despite the conclusive results of the referendum, Kiev has refused to recognize Crimea as a part of Russia.

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