18/03/2014 BBC World News


18/03/2014

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what happened in Yugoslavia in 1989. It was hard to believe and I

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couldn't believe my eyes but in the end of this century... ?

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STUDIO: This is BBC World News. I want to welcome viewers around the

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world and here in the UK. This is special coverage from Moscow of an

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address by President Putin on Crimea. Very much defending Russia's

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actions over the weekend. Welcoming Crimean members to Moscow. Let's

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continue to listen. TRANSLATION: It was clear the people

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who live in those countries were tired of the lack of perspective

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Countries were imposed with standards that had nothing to do

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with their way of life, culture and traditions. As a result. Instead of

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democracy and freedom they saw violence, chaos and a string of

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coups. Arab Spring was replaced by Arab winter. A similar scenario was

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realised in ewe crane when n 2004, to push a candidate to re-election

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they organise organised the so-called third round of election

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that was not pre-determined by the law. This was a mock constitution

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and now they use the army of militants. They understand what is

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happening. They understand these actions were aimed against Ukraine

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sia Russia. This was at a time when Russia was sincerely aiming towards

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the dialogue with our colleagues in the West. We were offering

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cooperation on all major issues. We want to strengthen the level of

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trust. We want our relations to be equal, open and honest. But they did

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not see any steps in our direction. Time and again we were deceived,

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decisions were made behind our backs. The same happened with the

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expansion to the east. The deployment of military structures on

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our boulders and we were told this is not our concern. It's easy to say

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it's not our concern. The same with the deployment of missile system in

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spite of all our concerns. The same with the access to international

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laws. Today we are threatened with sanctions, but even now there are a

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number of limitations significant our economy. In the time of Cold

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War, the USA and other countries prohibited the sale to the USSR

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along list of equipment. Now they've been formally eliminated, but in

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fact many bands are still in action. In short, we have all the reasons to

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believe that the policy of detainment of Russia that was

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happening in the 1890s and 20th century is still going on. We are

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driven into a corner for our independent position, for our

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fighting, for our calling things as they are. I'm not being

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hypocritical. There's a limit to everything. Everything has its

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limits and in the case of Ukraine, our western partners have broken

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that border, they have overreached the limit. They behaved

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irresponsibly and they knew perfectly well... That in Ukraine

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and the Crimea there are millions of Russian people. How they could have

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lost the political sense not to foresee the consequences of their

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actions. Russia was on the brink and could not step back any more. If you

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press the spring, it will release at some point. We should stop his, we

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should reject the rhetoric of Cold War and we should accept the obvious

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thing. Russia is an independent participant of international law.

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We are grateful to all those who understood our steps in Crimea. We

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are grateful to the people of China, whose leadership sees the situation

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in Ukraine and Crimea without his derricks. Dash-macro hysterics.

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Today I want to address myself to the people of the United States, the

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people who, since the founding of this state, since the declaration of

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Independence, are proud that freedom is overall. Isn't the striving of

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the people of career not the same value? Please understand us.

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Dash-macro Crimea. I trust we will be understood by Europeans. In the

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course of political consultations over the reunion and of Germany at a

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very high level, representatives of not every country that were then

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allies of Germany were supporting the idea of reunification. Our

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country, on the contrary, was immediately supported the strive of

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German people for reunification. I'm confident you have not forgotten

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that and I count the people of Germany will also support the

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Russian world to its reunification. I address myself to the people of

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Ukraine. I sincerely want you to understand this. In no way do we

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want to damage you, insult your national feelings. We have always

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respected the territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state, unlike those

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others. They talk about great Ukraine, but it was they who did

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everything to split the country. The civil confrontation in Ukraine today

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is entirely their responsibility. I want you to hear me, my dear

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friends. Don't trust those who frighten you with Russia, those who

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say Crimea... We don't want a split Ukraine. Crimea was and will remain

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both Russian and Ukrainian. I will repeat, as it has been for

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centuries, it will be home for all the ethnic groups who live there,

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but it will never be a region of Bandera ass.

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APPLAUSE Crimea is our common asset and the

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most important factor of stability in the region. This is a strategic

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territory that should be under strong and stable sovereignty. It

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can be only Russian today. Otherwise, dear friends, and I'm

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addressing myself to Ukrainians and Russians, Russians and Ukrainians,

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we could lose Crimea altogether and not that far-away. Please think

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about this. I want to remind you... The city of Russian military glory

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will be the base for NATO, maybe. There will be a threat to the entire

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south of Russia. A very concrete threat. That's what would have

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happened if not for the choice of Crimea and is and I want to thank

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them for this. We are not against cooperation with

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NATO. We are against a military alliance. NATO remains a military

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organisation. We are against a military organisation being next to

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our border, our historic territories. I can't imagine that

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they are going to Sevastopol to visit NATO seamen. It would be

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better if they came I will tell you straightaway, we are

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of course deeply concerned with what's happening in Ukraine. People

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are suffering, they don't know how to live there and our concern is

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understandable. We are not just neighbours, we are, as I said many

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times, one nation. Kiev is the mother of Russian cities. Old Russia

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is our common route, our common fundament. We will not be able to

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live without each other. Millions of Russians live and will continue to

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live in Ukraine and Russia will always protect their interests.

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Political, diplomatic, legal. First and foremost, Ukraine itself

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should be interested in the rights of these people. This is the aim for

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stability. We want friendship with Ukraine, we want them to be a strong

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state. It's one of our leading partners, we have lots of joint

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projects and I believe, in spite of everything, they will be successful.

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We want peace and agreement in the land of Ukraine. Along with other

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countries, we are prepared to facilitate this. It is only the

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citizens of Ukraine that can bring order into their own home. Dear

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residents of Crimea and Sevastopol, has been admiring your courage, your

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caring and your dignity. You decided the fate of Crimea. These days, we

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are as close as ever, we are supporting each other. These are

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genuine and sincere feelings of solidarity. At moments like this,

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historic moments, the strength of the will of the nation is being

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tested and the people of Russia have proved this surety and this force.

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They supported their compatriots. Strength of foreign policy of Russia

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was based on the will of millions of people, on the idea of national

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unity, on the support of political and social forces. I want to thank

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everybody for this patriotic feeling. Everybody, without

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exception. It is important for us to retain this consolidation, to

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resolve the issues that Russia is facing. We will of course be facing

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foreign confrontation, but we have to decide for ourselves. Are we

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prepared to protect our self interest or do we give in and

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retreat? Several Western politicians are frightening us with sanctions

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and sharpening internal problems. Are they talking about the fifth

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column of national traitors or are they counting on worsening living

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standards and instigating people 's anger? I see these statements as

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aggressive and irresponsible. I'm not going to dwell on them. We are

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never aiming for confrontation with our partners. On the contrary, we

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will do everything in our powers to build civilised, neighbourly

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relations as it should be in a contemporary world dear colleagues,

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I understand Crimea has posed a question in a referendum very

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clearly and distinctly. Whether Crimea should be with Ukraine

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Russia. The leadership of Crimea and Sevastopol, Parliament, when

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formulating the questions for the referendum, were guided by the

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interests of genuine interests of the people. Any other option, no

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matter how attractive it would be, by historic demographic, political

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and economic characteristics of this region would be temporarily and

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unstable and would bring a further worsening of the situation around

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Crimea and negatively damaged life of people. They posed the question

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rigidly, without compromise. The referendum was open and honest.

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People in the Crimea clearly and convincingly expressed their will.

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They want to be with Russia. Russia has also taken a very

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difficult decision, taking into account, as any democratic society,

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the different points of view. I want to underline the position of the

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absolute majority of the people is clear. Most recent polls prove that

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95% of the Russian population think that Russia should protect the

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interests of Russians and other groups of people in Ukraine, 95%.

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And more than 83% believe that Russia should take this action even

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if it worsens our relationships. Over 8% of Russian citizens believe

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Crimea is still Russian land. -- over 80%. This is an important

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figure. 92% are for Crimea joining Russia. So, an absolute majority of

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citizens of Crimea and the Russian Federation support the reunification

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of the Republic of Crimea, with the Russian Federation.

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We just have to take a political decision, and this decision can be

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based only on the will of the people. It is only the people who

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are the source of any power. Dear members of the Federation Council,

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of the state Duma, citizens of Russia, residents of Crimea and

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Sevastopol, today, based on the results of the referendum we had in

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Crimea, and on the will of the people, I bring into the council the

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execution in law on the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.

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And also, ratify the agreement about incorporating the Republic of Crimea

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and Sevastopol into the Russian Federation, have no doubt, I have no

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doubt in your support. Dear ladies and gentlemen, there

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will be a ceremony of signing. Please remain seated.

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STUDIO: This is BBC World News, bringing you live coverage as you

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can see of President Putin, and his speech in Moscow. A rousing speech,

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starting and ending there with a standing ovation.

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There will be a signing ceremony as far as we can see, with members of

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both Houses of Parliament, staying seated. But President Putin getting

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a round of applause repeatedly for saying that Sevastopol and Crimea

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will be unified with Russia, and there is mass support in Crimea and

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Russia for that move. Let us bring in Richard Galpin, our

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correspondence in Moscow, what did you make of that speech? A very,

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very strong, sweeping steep -- speech going right the way through

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the history, and emphasising the role is, essentially, saying how

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strong the relations between Russia and Ukraine have always been.

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And the fact that the Soviet leader gave away Crimea which had always

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been part of Russia, since the 17th century, and that was wrong. It was

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done behind closed doors. And again, following the collapse of the Soviet

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Union, Russia was basically not able to hold onto Crimea at that point.

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Russians who had been indifferent Soviet republics, stranded.

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Emphasising that. And bringing up to date the current situation in

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Ukraine. Describing the situation inside the country is absolutely

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chaotic. Nobody in control. And neo-Nazis, fascists, on the loose,

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saying people were being repressed. And Crimea was the first target.

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Therefore, Russia, in those circumstances, had to respond. They

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could not as he put it betray the people of Crimea. Therefore, Russia

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got involved. He was denying that Russia had used, or there had been

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any military intervention, saying that the forces in Crimea were

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within the agreed limits with the Ukraine authorities, 25,000 at the

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Fleet in Sevastopol. They had not breached those limits. Talking about

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the referendum, stressing it was legal and democratic.

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He started emotionally, very powerful to listen to. Saying,

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addressing people around the world, saying, you must realise Sevastopol,

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these are sacred for us, the birthplace of Russia, the Black Sea

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Navy, symbols of Russian military valour. He needed to know the

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history of Crimea, Russia, a common history. That this is one nation,

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Ukraine, Russia, we are one people. Saying interestingly at the end that

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they were worried about the people suffering in Russia. That Kiev is

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the mother of Russian cities. We cannot live without each other, we

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will always defend the many Russian speakers. He wanted friendship with

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Ukraine and it must be up to the people of Ukraine to take the

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decision about their future. What does that mean politically?

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An interesting point. He specifically ruled out, he said,

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that Russia did not want to divide Ukraine. Basically saying,

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implying, there will not be further military intervention in Ukraine. It

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is up to the people of Ukraine to sort out their own issues. But, as I

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said before, he is saying there is chaos in the country, there is no

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government, only radicals in control. An important point, I was

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struck how angry he is with the West. Talking about how Russia,

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essentially since the collapse of the Soviet Union, has been pushed

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into a corner constantly. It is in their interest, which is not being

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respected. Essentially if you push down and down, eventually, like a

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spring, it will snap up. Ukraine was that, he said. He said he saw the

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threat of sea urchins as an act of aggression, and that Russia should

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be respected, and he was grateful for others understanding their

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history. He said this is about freedom of choice. People in Kosovo

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and Albania had that freedom of independence, why not here? We have

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to leave it here, that special coverage of that speech by President

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Putin, a key speech. Much more on BBC News. Goodbye.

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