During a visit to the Crimean city of Sudak, on the shores of the Black Sea, the Russian Foreign Minister responded to a question from the press about when the nations of the West will recognize the Russian status of this republic.

Lavrov described as a ‘true carnival’ the forum of the so-called Crimean Platform, which Ukrainian authorities will hold on August 23 in Kiev with the participation of representatives from 37 countries, according to Foreign Minister Dmitri Kuleba.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said earlier that the country is doing everything possible to bring the region back under its control, for which he launched the Crimean Platform, during which the issue of the ‘return’ of the peninsula will be discussed.

About the meeting, the Russian foreign minister said that it will serve ‘to continue to promote neo-Nazi and racist sentiments by current Ukrainian authorities’.

Crimea became a Russian republic again after a referendum held on the peninsula in March 2014, in which 96.77 percent of voters and 95.6 percent of Sevastopol residents spoke in favor of joining Russia, a vote that was not recognized by Kiev.

The Russian Government has repeatedly stated that in a democratic manner the people of Crimea, in full compliance with international law and the United Nations Charter, voted in favor of reunification.

jg/lcr/mem/mml