MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled to Crimea on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the peninsula’s annexation and inspect construction of a bridge meant to link it to mainland Russia.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea, followed by a Moscow-backed rebellion in eastern Ukraine, prompted the West to impose economic sanctions against Russia that, along with slumping oil prices, contributed to the sharp devaluation of Russia’s currency. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after a hastily organized referendum not recognized by the United States and the European Union. Even Russian allies like Belarus refused to recognize it.
Across Russia, pro-Kremlin groups …read more
Source: KXAN