Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation visited the Crimean peninsula for the first time after the territory was recently annexed into Russia from Ukraine. The president visited amidst military parades and celebrations. His visit stirred up a new fear that additional Ukrainian lands may break away.
On Friday, in a speech Putin declared that Russia’s annexation of Crimea made his nation stronger, followed by a military parade in Sevastopol near the Black Sea. "There is a lot of work ahead but we will overcome all difficulties because we are together, which means we have become stronger," the Russian president said, according to Reuters.
Over 90 percent of the voters in the Crimean peninsula’s referendum expressed that they supported the Russian occupation. However, it is reported that the majority of local residents had boycotted the vote. The U.S. and European Union also criticized Russia’s annexation and the vote.
The vote itself was reported to be rather problematic. The question asked to voters was “Do you support the act of proclamation of independent sovereignty for the Donetsk People’s Republic?”
The Donetsk People’s Republic is the newly declared eastern Ukraine, which terrorist in eastern territories had adopted. The Russian government claimed that they did not have any control or affiliation with these rebels who displayed rather strong pro-Russian ideology.
The western world is still critical of Russia’s violence in Crimea, and the E.U. has announced that it will be increasing economic sanctions against Russia.
