Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Crimea at the end of the presidential campaign, peninsula residents will have a chance to see their ruler on March 14, the last day of 2018 elections in Russia. During his recent interview, the Russian leader promised that he will never give Crimea back to Ukraine.
President Putin wants to link the fourth anniversary of the widely rejected referendum Russia staged when it annexed the region from Ukraine with his presidential campaign. For Crimea, it will be the first presidential elections since a moment, that Moscow describes as the formal accession of Crimea into the Russian Federation.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, told Russia’s Dozhd TV on March 12 about the gathering, which is expected to be attended by thousands of people in Crimea. In 2018, Crimea expects around six mln tourists in 2018, regional Tourism Minister Vadim Volchenko said on Thursday.
Putin’s decision on Crimea was final
Answering a journalist’s question about possible circumstances under which Crimea might be returned to Ukraine in a new film that was shown on social networks on March 11, Putin said returning the region to Ukraine will never be possible.
“What, have you gone mad?” Putin asked the journalist. “There are no such circumstances and never will be.”
Despite the street protests and a motley crew of seven challengers, Vladimir Putin is expected to take nearly 70 percent of the vote with a turnout of more than 60 percent, according to state-run pollsters. Igor Sechin, the secretive chief executive of oil giant Rosneft, said he had served under Putin in various capacities for nearly 30 years and that the Russian president always was a very careful person.
“Honestly speaking, I don’t know a single mistake he has made over these years. He is very careful at making decisions,”
Mr Sechin added.
