Putin criticised over 'provocative' visit to Crimea

2014-05-10 2,006

Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day visit to Crimea has sparked international condemnation.

The Russian President sailed into the port of Sevastopol for commemorations and hailed his country’s annexation of the Black Sea Peninsula from Ukraine.

He said taking Crimea had made Russia stronger.

Ukraine lashed out at Putin over his visit, saying that he was trampling on international law.

The US described his arrival as “provocative”, while the European Union said it was wrong for Russia to use Victory Day to showcase its illegal annexation of the region.

It was Putin’s first visit to Crimea since it was annexed in March and comes at a time when the eyes of the world are fixed on Ukraine’s political crisis.