Poroshenko regards Putin's arrival in Crimea as challenge, exacerbation of situation

16:00, 17.08.2015 1 min read

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has made a critical statement on the arrival by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Crimea.

"The arrival by Putin in Ukrainian Crimea without the authorization of the Ukrainian authorities is a challenge to the civilized world and part of the scenario to exacerbate the situation, which is being implemented by the Russian military and their mercenaries in Donbas," a statement posted on Poroshenko's official account on Facebook on Monday says.

The Ukrainian president also said such visits mean further militarization of the peninsula and increase its isolation. "Crimea only has a future, including [for] tourist[s], as part of Ukraine," Poroshenko said in his statement.

Putin conducted a State Council presidium meeting on the development of tourism in Russia in Yalta during a working visit to the Crimean Federal District on Monday.

On the same day, Putin is expected to have an informal meeting with representatives of the national public associations of Crimea.