1. Bewertung des Euromaidan

Rede Putins

(…) However, those who stood behind the latest events in Ukraine had a different agenda: they were preparing yet another government takeover; they wanted to seize power and would stop short of nothing. They resorted to terror, murder and riots. Nationalists, neo-Nazis, Russophobes and anti-Semites executed this coup. They continue to set the tone in Ukraine to this day. (…)

Quelle: Address by President of the Russian Federation, March 18, 2014, <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6889>

Umfragen

2. Legitimität der ukrainischen Regierung

Rede Putins

(…) It is also obvious that there is no legitimate executive authority in Ukraine now, nobody to talk to. Many government agencies have been taken over by the impostors, but they do not have any control in the country, while they themselves—and I would like to stress this—are often controlled by radicals. In some cases, you need a special permit from the militants on Maidan to meet with certain ministers of the current government. This is not a joke—this is reality. (…)

Quelle: Address by President of the Russian Federation, March 18, 2014, <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6889>

Umfragen

3. Bewertung der Krim-Krise

Rede Putins

(…) Those who opposed the coup were immediately threatened with repression. Naturally, the first in line here was Crimea, the Russian-speaking Crimea. In view of this, the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol turned to Russia for help in defending their rights and lives, in preventing the events that were unfolding and are still underway in Kiev, Donetsk, Kharkov and other Ukrainian cities.

Naturally, we could not leave this plea unheeded; we could not abandon Crimea and its residents in distress. This would have been betrayal on our part. (…)

Quelle: Address by President of the Russian Federation, March 18, 2014, <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6889>

Umfragen

4. Krim und Süd-Ost-Ukraine

Rede Putins

(…) In people’s hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an inseparable part of Russia. This firm conviction is based on truth and justice and was passed from generation to generation, over time, under any circumstances, despite all the dramatic changes our country went through during the entire 20th century.

After the revolution, the Bolsheviks, for a number of reasons—may God judge them—added large sections of the historical South of Russia to the Republic of Ukraine. This was done with no consideration for the ethnic make-up of the population, and today these areas form the southeast of Ukraine. (…)

(…) All these years, citizens and many public figures came back to this issue, saying that Crimea is historically Russian land and Sevastopol is a Russian city. Yes, we all knew this in our hearts and minds, but we had to proceed from the existing reality and build our good-neighbourly relations with independent Ukraine on a new basis. (…)

(…) I am confident that you have not forgotten this, and I expect that the citizens of Germany will also support the aspiration of the Russians, of historical Russia, to restore unity. (…)

(…) Crimea is our common historical legacy and a very important factor in regional stability. And this strategic territory should be part of a strong and stable sovereignty, which today can only be Russian. (…)

(…) Our concerns are understandable because we are not simply close neighbours but, as I have said many times already, we are one people. Kiev is the mother of Russian cities. Ancient Rus is our common source and we cannot live without each other. (…)

(…) A total of 86 percent of our people see Crimea as still being Russian territory and part of our country’s lands. (…)

Quelle: Address by President of the Russian Federation, March 18, 2014, <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6889>

Umfragen

5. Krim-Referendum und Beitritt zu Russland

Rede Putins

(…) And one particularly important figure, which corresponds exactly with the result in Crimea’s referendum: almost 92 percent of our people support Crimea’s reunification with Russia.

Thus we see that the overwhelming majority of people in Crimea and the absolute majority of the Russian Federation’s people support the reunification of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol with Russia. (…)

Quelle: Address by President of the Russian Federation, March 18, 2014, <http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6889>