Ukrainian President Slams Putin's Visit to Crimea

Aug. 17, 2015

KIEV — Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko criticized Russian leader Vladimir Putin for visiting Russia-annexed Crimea on Monday, saying his action was part of a plan to whip up tensions in eastern Ukraine.

"This is a challenge to the civilized world and a continuation of the plan to escalate the situation which is being carried out by Russian troops and their mercenaries in the Donbass [east Ukraine]," Poroshenko said in a Facebook post.

Putin visited Yalta in Crimea on Monday to promote tourism on the peninsula, according to the Kremlin's website. Referring directly to that, Poroshenko said Crimea had a future only as part of Ukraine and that included its "tourist" future.

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