Putin Can Travel to Crimea Whenever He Wants, Russia Says

Moscow, Oct 27 (Prensa Latina) Russian President Vladimir Putin can travel to Crimea whenever he considers it necessary, because that is an internal affair of that country, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitri Peskov said on Thursday.

Putin has the right to visit any Russian region whenever he decides to do so and that does not concern any other state at all, including Ukraine, added Peskov in response to a note of protest from Kiev.

Ukrainian authorities protested against Putin's participation in a regional meeting of the All-Russia Patriotic Front that he leads in the coastal resort of Yalta, on the Peninsula of Crimea.

Traditionally, Ukraine objects the visits by high-level Russian officials to Crimea and we, traditionally, reject it, the presidential spokesman said.

On Wednesday, the Russian president responded to citizens' and social organizations' concerns about internal problems in Crimea, including its transport and hotel infrastructures, the development of sports and other social aspects.

In September, Putin traveled to Crimea to attend a meeting of the presidium of the Council of State, and in August, he participated in the Tavrida youth forum.

After the coup d'état in February 2014 against then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, right-wing and neo-fascist organizations occupied administrative buildings by force in several Ukrainian regions.

At the time, Crimea's legitimate authorities resorted to an article of the Ukrainian Constitution to hold a referendum in March 2014 about the sovereignty of the peninsula, which was a part of Russia until 1954.

More than 95 percent of voters supported Crimea's exit from Ukraine and its incorporation into Russia.

Later, the Russian head of State decided that the issue on the jurisdiction of the peninsula of Crimea was closed, as Moscow considers that it was dealt with according to international law and the United Nations Charter.