Jakarta –
President of Russia Vladimir Putin traveled from Crimea to Mariupol, occupied Ukraine. This visit was made after the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered the arrest of Putin.
Reported AFP, Sunday (19/3/2023), the Russian President’s visit to Crimea took place on Saturday (18/3), this marks the ninth anniversary of the annexation of the peninsula. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.
Sudden visit Putin to Crimea is the first to the peninsula since he sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Last December, Putin drove across the bridge connecting the annexed territory to mainland Russia.
Russian state TV showed Putin visiting the port city of Sevastopol on the Black Sea. Putin was accompanied by the Moscow-appointed local governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev.
Razvozhayev spoke on Telegram that Putin expected to take part in the opening of a children’s art school via video link.
“But Vladimir Vladimirovich came alone. He alone. Behind the wheel. Because on such a historic day, the president is always with Sevastopol and the people of Sevastopol,” he said.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 following a referendum that Kyiv and the international community did not recognize.
Speaking at the Davos forum in January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine aims to take back Crimea, “our land”. Moscow has refused to include it in possible peace talks.
(lir/lir)
