DISINFO: EU Delegation arrives in Crimea
SUMMARY
A delegation of European Union politicians and experts arrived in Crimea on a working visit. The delegation consists of nine people. Five of its members are French members of the European Union Parliament. EU representatives will visit polling stations and evaluate the voting process on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attempting to portray a gradual acceptance of Crimea's position within Russia, especially by the West. Members of the European Parliament who visited the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea did not represent the EU and did not constitute an observation mission of the European Parliament, the press service of the EР said. “We know that some members of the European Parliament and other citizens act as so-called observers in the Crimea when voting on Russian constitutional amendments. They are not EU official representatives, they are not an official EU delegation and they are not an observation mission of the European Parliament,” said Peter Stano, Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to Ukrainian media. The EU also condemned the vote, which took place in the temporarily occupied Crimea in violation of international law.