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“Friends of Putin” French MPs to visit occupied Crimea

byUkrayinska Pravda

22/07/2015

1 minute read

A soldier of the Russian occupation force atop an IFV in Crimea. (Image: epa.eu)

“Friends of Putin” French MPs to visit occupied Crimea

Translated by: A. N.

On Wednesday, a group of pro-Putin French parliamentarians will travel to Russia and to Russia-occupied Crimea.

Thierry Mariani, a member of parliament from Nicolas Sarkozy’s “The Republicans” party, stated this on air during I-Tele TV channel broadcast.

“There will be ten MPs from both chambers, both right and left. The program of travel – Moscow, Yalta, Simferopol. A day in Moscow, two – in the Crimea,” – Mariani was quoted by AFP.

Armed Russian soldiers block the entrance to a Ukrainian naval border guard base in Sevastopol during the annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. March 2014. (Image: New York Times)

A soldier of the Russian annexation force flashes a victory sign while marching near a Ukrainian army base in Perevalne, Crimea. March 2014

Angeblicher russischer Soldat vor dem ukrainischen Militärstützpunkt Perewalnoje bei Simferopol auf der Krim – Foto: Daniel Van Moll/Nur/Photoshot

Unmarked trucks with Putin's so-called "little green men" - heavily-armed Russian cadres military troops hiding their identities and without insignia during the invasion into the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in February 2014. — Unmarked trucks with Putin’s so-called “little green men” – heavily-armed Russian cadres military troops hiding their identities and without insignia during the invasion into the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in February 2014.

Crimean Tartar protest against the Russian occupation.

Crimean Tatars protest the Russian occupation. February-March 2014

A man holds a sign in a protest against Russian military intervention in the Crimea region of Ukraine on March 2, 2014 in New York City.

Crimea is Ukraine. Graffiti in the city of Omsk, Russia (Image: omskpress.ru)

The Crimean Referendum of March 2014 (Image: RFE/RL) — The Crimean “Referendum” of March 2014 (Image: RFE/RL)

A portrait of Putin with “Crimea” written on the upper lip

Putin celebrating the Crimea Anschluss, 2014

An unarmed Ukrainian man stands in protest in front of spetsnaz soldiers of Putin's occupation force capturing Crimea, February 2014. — An unarmed Ukrainian man stands in protest in front of spetsnaz soldiers of Putin’s occupation force capturing Crimea, February 2014.

Crimean Tatar Mejlis raided and searched by Russian police in balaclavas.

The Russian occupation authorities in Crimea opening a new Stalin monument to commemorate the Yalta Conference (February 4-11, 1945) between US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin that legitimized the post-World War II occupation of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union (Image: Wikimedia)

Mustafa Cemilev, the longtime leader of the Crimean Tatar national movement

Crimean Tatar protest. The sign in Russian reads: "We are on our own land!" — Crimean Tatar protest against Russian occupation of the Crimea. The sign in Russian reads: “We are on our own land!”

Dancing in Crimean Tatar Khanate by Carlo Bossoli, 1843 — Dance of Crimean Tatars, a lithograph from the series The Beautiful Scenery and Chief Places of Interest throughout the Crimea by Carlo Bossoli, 1843

"Crimean Tatars want peace" - Crimeans protest against Russian occupation, March 2014 — “Crimean Tatars want peace” – Crimeans protest against Russian occupation, March 2014

"No to war! Crimea is Ukraine!" — “No to war! Crimea is Ukraine!” Crimeans protest against Russian occupation, March 2014

A Crimean Tatar woman holds a sign "Crimea Is Ukraine" in protest to the fake "referendum" imposed by force by Moscow in March 2014. — A Crimean Tatar woman holds a sign “Crimea Is Ukraine” in protest to the fake “referendum” imposed by force by Moscow in March 2014.

Crimean Tartars (photo: oleg-leusenko.livejournal.com)

A girl in a national Crimean Tatar dress holds a placard during a protest against the presence of Russian troops in Crimea, Bakhchysaray, Crimea, March 5, 2014 (Image: mfa.gov.ua)

Putin was shunned at the 2014 G20 meeting in Australia after the Crimea Anschluss by Russia.

The pin on the chest of the protester says: "Don't Kill ATR!" at the protest against the shuttering of Crimean media outlets by the Kremlin, March 2015 — The pin on the chest of the protester says: “Don’t Kill ATR!” at the protest against the shuttering of Crimean media outlets by the Kremlin, March 2015

ATR poll in the bottom of the screen shows 82% of ATR viewers against the Crimea Anschluss by Russia in March 2014

Chief editor of the Crimean Tartar-language “Avdet” Shevkey Kaybullayev, whose newspaper was denied a license to continue to operate in Crimea by Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor, as reported by an also-shuttering Crimean News Agency (Photo: QHA)

Protest against the shutdown of ATR Crimean Tartar TV channel in Crimea by the Russian occupation authorities (Image: krymr.org)

Tourism is critical to Crimea's economy. After Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, the multi-million flow of tourists contracted to a trickle, thus crushing Crimean economy. The webcam images of empty beaches that normally were completely full are a confirmation. June 2015 (Image: Webcam capture) — Tourism is critical to Crimea’s economy. After Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, the multi-million flow of tourists contracted to a trickle, thus crushing Crimean economy. The webcam images of empty beaches that normally were completely full are a confirmation. June 2015 (Image: Webcam capture)

As tourism to Crimea has undergone a major contraction, a major supermarket chain “Furshet” in Yalta has reduced its inventory to a minimum and fills the empty shelves with bottles of water and drinks one-bottle deep. June 2015. (Image: Twitter)

As Crimea's economy after the Russian occupation has slowed to a standstill, the railroad yard in Sevastopol is being overtaken by grass. June 2015 (Image: Twitter) — As Crimea’s economy after the Russian occupation has slowed to a standstill, the railroad yard in Sevastopol is being overtaken by grass. June 2015 (Image: Twitter)

Grass grew over the railroad tracks near Sevastopol, the largest industrial city of the Ukrainian peninsula, as Crimea’s economy slowed to a standstill after the Russian occupation. June 2015 (Image: Twitter)

The main train station in Evpatoria, a major resort city in Crimea, stays empty after the Russian occupation of the Ukrainian peninsula. June 2015. (Image: Twitter)

“We are interested to find out what’s really going on,” – he said when responding to a question whether this visit is a manifestation of sympathy to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to him, the French Foreign Ministry has warned the MPs that it does not approve of this visit, and they are aware of their responsibility.

One member of the delegation, Yves Pozzo di Borgo said that for him the visit did not mean a “recognition of the annexation of the Crimea.”

It is worth noting that Thierry Mariani, together with the head of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin leads “Franco-Russian Dialogue” association. [Note: Yakunin is one of Putin’s closest and long-time associates who was with him before he became a public official. – Transl.]

Translated by: A. N.

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“Friends of Putin” French MPs to visit occupied Crimea

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