KIEV, Ukraine
Ukraine has reacted angrily to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s claim that the Crimean issue was “closed”.
Pavlo Klimkin, Ukraine’s foreign minister, told Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday the "Crimean crisis has not ended for international society."
He added: "Russia closed Crimea off from the world. Moreover, Russia closed Crimea for the people who want to live in freedom… in their own land."
In a social network post, Ukrainian Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov said no country should “cooperate with criminals and robbers” in an apparent reference to Russia.
Lavrov’s comments came at a regional summit in the Russian city of Ufa. He said: “The decision between the Crimean people and Russia ended this crisis."
Russian forces took control of Crimea in late February last year. The peninsula, which has a predominantly ethnic Russian population, had been part of Ukraine since 1954.
The following month, Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum that led to international condemnation.
