Original Material
Ukraine outraged at Berlusconi’s visit to Crimea
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who took a trip to Crimea together on the weekend of September 11. Ukrainian officials claim that the trip violated Ukraine’s regulations for visits to the peninsula, which stipulate that any trip to the region must first be cleared with Kiev.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement saying that Berlusconi’s actions “are at odds with EU policy” on Crimea.
The visit to occupied Crimea is yet another attempt by Russia to legitimize its illegal occupation at all costs, and is a demonstration of disrespect for the state sovereignty of Ukraine.
- Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi arrived in Crimea on September 11. He met with Vladimir Putin, visited several museums, and went to an old Italian cemetery.
- A delegation of French parliament members also visited the peninsula in late July. Eight of the ten parliamentarians were representatives of former French president Nikolas Sarkozy’s center-right Republican party. The French Foreign Minister denounced the visit, and representatives of the French government stated that the trip is a violation of international law. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called the visit “an irresponsible act, a demonstration of disrespect towards the state sovereignty of Ukraine, and a conscious violation of Ukrainian law.”
- Russia absorbed Crimea in March 2014 after a controversial secessionist referendum. Neither France, Italy, nor Ukraine have recognized the results of this referendum.