DISINFO: The arrival of French delegation to the Crimea is another confirmation of its legitimacy
SUMMARY
A delegation of French politicians headed by Thierry Mariani arrived in Crimea, the first foreign delegation to participate in the upcoming celebrations. The arrival of such a high delegation is another confirmation of the legitimacy of the choice of the Crimean people, made five years ago.
RESPONSE
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has strongly condemned the visit of a group of French politicians to the Russian-occupied Crimea. It also notes that trips of foreign politicians to the Crimea do not have official status. The Ukrainian Foreign Policy Office issued an appeal in July 2016 in which it warned foreign citizens and stateless persons from illegal travel to the Crimea. President Emmanuel Macron has also repeatedly confirmed that France refuses to recognise Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, François Delatra, underlines that Russia, in an unobtrusive way, violates the principles and objectives of the United Nations. See here for the EU statement on the fifth anniversary of Crimea annexation.