The Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories asks not to call Crimea ‘annexed’ because the term ‘annexation’ is erroneous toward Crimea and it contradicts the Ukrainian legislation as Deputy Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Ihor Yaremenko reported.
“The definition ‘annexation’ in fact, continues the Russian rhetoric that the return of Crimea and Sevastopol to Ukraine seems to be closed. We completely disagree with it, consequently, we strongly request to use the term ‘temporarily occupation’ as Crimea, I am sure, will return under control of Ukraine,” Yaremenko stated.
He also added that according to the Ukrainian legislation, the Crimean peninsula, including Sevastopol, are territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation. The whole international society uses the formulation ‘temporarily occupied territories’ toward peninsula and Donbas.
“It is allowed to use the formulation ‘attempt of annexation’ toward Crimea but not ‘annexation”, Yaremenko noted.
Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, invading the Ukrainian peninsula and holding the illegal referendum; based on its trumped-up results, the Russian Parliament decided to approve the "reunification" of Crimea with mainland Russia. Ukraine, in turn, defined February 20, 2014, as the beginning of the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Western governments and organizations NGOs do not recognize the act of annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula.
