President Putin: Russia did not violate international law when annexing Crimea

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with German newspaper Bild, affirmed that Russia did not violate international law in Crimea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Source: AFP/Getty Images)

Mr. Putin stated: "In the case of Crimea, international law was not violated, but in accordance with the United Nations Charter, every nation has the right to self-determination."

According to President Putin, the presence of Russian armed forces on the peninsula is necessary only to prevent "interference in the free will of the people."

"We are not fighting, not occupying anyone, not shooting anywhere, no one has died as a result of the events in Crimea. Not a single one! We used armed forces only to restrain more than 20,000 Ukrainian troops who interfered with the free will of the people there," he said.

Mr Putin cited the example of Kosovo and said: "Kosovo declared independence and the whole world accepted this, through the decision of the parliament. They didn't even hold a referendum."

President Putin believes that the Russian people feel clearly in their hearts and minds and understand what is happening. He affirmed: "Crimea's annexation to Russia is a fair decision."

According to VIETNAM+