KIEV: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko criticized Russian leader Vladimir Putin for visiting Russia-annexed Crimea on Monday, saying his action was part of a plan to whip up tensions in eastern Ukraine.
"This is a challenge to the civilized world and a continuation of the plan to escalate the situation which is being carried out by Russian troops and their mercenaries in the Donbass (east Ukraine)," Poroshenko said in a Facebook post.
Putin visited Yalta in Crimea on Monday to promote tourism on the peninsula, according to the Kremlin's website. Referring directly to that, Poroshenko said Crimea had a future only as part of Ukraine and that included its "tourist" future.
Reuters
