Putin defends Crimea nuclear weapons alert

Introduction

The documentary Crimea – Return to the Motherland was presented on TV channel Russia 1 on Sunday evening.

Russian president Vladimir Putin provided details on the referendum in Crimea. The referendum was followed by  the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation.

Also details on the rescue of Ukraine’s president Victor  Yanukovych  heavy machine guns. The  participation of the GRU in the operation on the peninsula.

The Russian president assesses the possibility of a nuclear war in the event of a conflict with the West.

Kiev in response to the revelation of the Russian leader has already threatened to go before the Hague Tribunal.

Details of the operation were told in  Putin’s interview in the documentary film by Andrei Kondrashov ” Crimea . The way home. ”

In the interview Vladimir Putin said that the decision to join the Crimea was made late at night before  before the closing of the Olympic Games in Sochi on February 23:

“I am with all my colleagues (there were four). The situation is reversed in Ukraine. We have to start working on the return of Crimea to Russia. Because we can not leave the area and the people who live there to their fate under the ultra nationalists. “

 

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On Revolution in Kiev

On February 22, Kjiv won the revolution. Verkhovna Rada Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov elected and appointed early presidential elections. According to Putin, the success of Euromaidan depended on the West.

“The focus of the situation was that the formal opposition (in Ukraine), was primarily supported by the Europeans.  But we knew – just not aware of, and know that the real” puppeteers “were our American friends.”

“That they helped prepare nationalist militias – in the west of Ukraine and Poland are trained in Lithuania in part. How did our partners? Contributed to the commission of a coup d’etat. 

As a result, Putin said, the country was “split”.

In the last 12 months the president has been variously described the reasons for holding a referendum among his versions were: the need to protect the Russian-speaking population, restoration of historical justice, sacred meaning of the Crimea.

Under the new version, expressed in the film, the main aim was to prevent ethnic bloodshed:

“I am confident that, bearing in mind the ethnic composition of the population in the Crimea, there would have been even worse (than ” Independence”).

“We had to take action to prevent such negative developments, to avoid tragedies, which are then later played out in Odessa, where were burnt alive by dozens of people. We could not in any case prevent the bloodshed. “

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Putin saves Yanukovych

According to the head of the Russian state, the decision of President Viktor Yanukovych to abandon the use of violent means to disperse the  “Euromaidan” led to “serious consequences”:

“I do not want to judge Yanukovych and his choices. Yanukovych said: “I could not sign the order for the use of weapons. My hand was raised …

“Can you blame him for that? I do not know. And I’m not going to do that. Do not feel entitled to do so. Good or bad – heavy consequences of inaction. This is evident. “

Yanukovych fled the revolution in the capital two days after February 20 when unidentified snipers shot a lot of demonstrators. Yanukovych told Putin that he was going to go to Kharkov.

“I would not hide, I expressed my point of view, that in such a situation it is better not to leave the capital.”

:Then he called and said that he  decided to go. The only thing I said – do not engage forces of law and order further. “Oh, yes, I understand.” Turns around and brings out all the forces of law and order!” complained to the Russian president.

Further, according to Putin, February 22, Viktor Yanukovych arrived in Kharkov, and then in Donetsk.

Yanukovych called  his Russian counterpart with a request for a meeting. Putin offered to meet in Rostov-on-Don, but the guards told Yanukovych: “We have big problems.”

As it turned out, on the motorcade Yanukovych and Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka shot at.

Then Putin ordered four Russian law enforcement agencies to save the life of President of Ukraine. Yanukovych was going to go to the Crimea, but the Russian service warned him of the ambush with heavy machine guns.

According to Putin, the security services were preparing to “remove” Yanukovych directly from Donetsk -“by land, by sea or   air.” But  Yanukovych’s motorcade was already far from the city.

Then he pointed to turn to the protection of the coast. There flew a helicopter group with a group of special forces on board. After a fruitless aerial search of the coastline pilots found nothing.

As a result,  Yanukovych called the Kremlin and has discouraged Ukrainian President pilots saw the flash: cars tuple simultaneously including further light.

“The fact that we saved his life, the life of his family members, I think it’s a good cause, a noble,” said Putin.

A few days later the deposed President of Ukraine was in Crimea, however.  When it became clear that an agreement with the new authorities Yanukovych could not be made, he went to Russia.

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 Fortress Crimea 

“We made a fortress from the Crimea. And from the sea, and land, “- said the head of state.

He acknowledged that in the Crimean operation involved units of the GRU and Marines. They neutralized Ukrainian military units on the peninsula.

“We needed specialists who know how to do it. So I gave orders and instructions to the Ministry of Defense.

“Which hide under the guise of strengthening the protection of our military facilities in Crimea to throw back the Main Intelligence Special Forces and Marine Corps forces, marines, “- said Putin.

He assures us that did not use a resolution of the Federation Council on the deployment of troops to Ukraine and did not exceed the number of personnel Black Sea Fleet base in the Crimea.

According to the relevant international instruments on the Russian military base in Crimea Moscow had a limit of 20 thousand   the president recalled.

Putin spoke about how the work was carried out by “the conviction of Ukrainian military”:

“One of the commanders of the Ukrainian Navy flatly refused to side with” the Crimean authorities. ” I asked him to work with him veterans. “Santa” came before 7 am with him was an educational conversation. By 7 am, he took a pen and paper and wrote a letter of resignation, “- he said.

He added that “the Ukrainian soldiers behaved very decently, trying to remain faithful to their oath.”

Putin also said that “there were many calls from Western leaders”:

“The American colleagues are right saying that we block Ukrainian military units. I said that the troops are gone, there are groups of people, soldiers. But this is not the armed forces, is something else,”- said Putin.

Last March, Putin on questions of “polite green men” blocking of the Ukrainian Crimea, called them “local self-defense forces” who purchased uniforms from   the store.

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Nuclear forces are ready for anything

After the revolution in Kiev and the Crimean operations Putin put nuclear forces on full alert.

“Of course, could not be understood at once (as respond to the reunification of the Crimea with Russia). So I immediately on the first phase of the work had to properly orient our armed forces. Not just to orient and give direct orders, “- said Putin.

Leading to the question of the possibility of bringing the nuclear forces in the embattled peninsula the president said: “We were ready to do it. We were not going to go ahead, but we are forced to it.”

“Do not we have committed a coup, did nationalists and people with extreme beliefs. You supported them. But where are you located? Thousands of miles away?”

“And here we are, and this is our land! You are what you want there to fight? Do you know? And we know it. And we are ready for this … That is – honest and open position.”

And so I do not think that someone had the desire to expand some of the world conflict “, – Putin said, apparently referring to the United States.

“Despite the complexity and drama of the situation,” Cold War “ended, and we do not need international crises like the Caribbean – the president said. –

“The more that conditions do not call for such action, and it would be contrary to our own interests.

“As for our nuclear deterrent it is always in a state of combat readiness. “

In order to reflect a possible attempt to recapture Kiev Peninsula, Russia threw the Crimea coastal complexes Bastion designed to protect the coastline from attack from the sea.

“And above all, we consciously deployed these forces  so that they are seen from outer space” – said Putin.

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Referendum

In March 2014, the Supreme Council of Crimea and Sevastopol city council adopted a Declaration of Independence.

March 16, according to official data, 96.77% of the voters of the Republic and 95.6% of the electorate voted in favor of Sevastopol reunification with Russia.

March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement on the adoption of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia, subsequently approved by the State Duma and the Federation Council.

Vladimir Putin admitted that he came to the idea of changing the status of Crimea only after the revolution in Kjev.

“We never thought about the rejection of the Crimea from Ukraine until such time as these events have not started (on the” Independence “), a coup – the president said. –

“The first thing I did – it has commissioned a private poll. It turned out that those wishing to join Russia there (in the Crimea) – 75% of the total composition of the population.”

“For me, it became obvious that if we come to this, the level or the number of those who would like to see this historic event occurred, would be much higher. “

According to Putin, the ultimate goal was not to join the Crimea, and to “give people the opportunity to express their opinion on how they want to live on”:

“I tell you quite frankly, to be honest. Thought to myself: if people want, then so be it. This means that they will be there with greater autonomy, with some rights, but as a part of the Ukrainian state”

“Let it be so. But if they choose otherwise, we can not leave them! We know the results of the referendum. And we did what was required to do! “

And here is noticeably apparent contradiction: Putin says that the Crimeans had to decide for themselves whether they will remain a part of Ukraine or Russia will join, but also recognized that “work on the return of the Crimea” was started on the night of 22 February 23.

Looks like a good example of managed democracy.

“Make it personally”

Putin explained the success of the operation that he personally gave the orders: “Not because I did everything correctly, but because when it is done by the first person in the country, it is easier to direct performers : работать. 

They feel it, understand and know that they obey orders, not engaged in arbitrariness. And when the state structure is in disorder or in dilapidated state, the orders are given either no or do not reach the performers, or their legitimacy is highly questionable. “

At the same time, Putin praised the work of the Ministry of Defence and other Russian law enforcement agencies: “No, no, I want to emphasize the failure was not allowed.”

“This is not an easy job, referring to its size, the use of various forces and resources. And there, again, in the first stage GRU is Airborne, Marine Corps, and then other units”.

“Not only that, the Ministry of Defence has worked extremely professionally, smoothly, but also other services – and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, legal services and those who deal with domestic policy. “

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Would  do the same again

March 18, 2014, Putin read out an emergency message to the Federal Assembly, in which he spoke about the introduction of the Act of Accession of the peninsula. “This is what I wrote from the heart,” – said Putin, in particular, the phrase “robbed Russia.”

According to Putin, then he did not think that everything that happens becomes the story, but based on the interests of “the good of the country and safeguard the interests of the people of Russia.”

To a question whether he would with the Crimea as well if the same thing happened, the president replied: “Well, of course!”, “I would never do that, if I did not, that we must act accordingly.”

Putin and themes touched sanctions: “We acted in the interests of the Russian people and the country.”

“Change it for the money change people into some good, to change people to the possibility of any contracts or bank transfer – this is absolutely unacceptable.”

“This does not mean that we should not be respected, for example, international law and the interest of our partner. But this means that all of our partners must respect Russia and its interests. “

Putin expressed confidence that if Russia did not organize a referendum, the events unfolded in the Crimea would have to Donbass scenario.

In conclusion, the President spoke about the plans for the development of the region: the construction of the bridge to the mainland, energy development, recreation zone, the revival of the humanitarian component of the peninsula.

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Kjev’s Reaction

Crimean referendum was not recognized by the international community, and the peninsula of Ukraine considers its territory, temporarily occupied by Russia.

March 12 Prime Minister of Ukraine Yatsenyuk instructed to direct a film with a story about Putin’s Crimean operation in the Hague Tribunal.

“In order for international prosecutors to be able to review the application and begin production of the GPU, the SBU, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine collect adequate evidence base to bring to justice all the perpetrators of the attack on the Ukraine, the annexation of the Crimea and in the thousands of victims that are caused by the Russian military aggression” – explained the Prime Minister.

 

THIS TRANSLATION IS COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OF Gazeta.ru. Refer to the online original. 

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