Gorbachev urges the West to accept reality about Crimea

The first and the last president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, urged the international community to recognize the Crimean Peninsula a part of the Russian Federation, a Russian territory.

"The Crimean hub could not be ignored for long. A mistake was made during the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was then, when the fate of the Crimea should have been decided once and for all. Maybe it's not easy, but the international community must accept the reality and perceive the Crimea as part of Russia," Mikhail Gorbachev said.

Gorbachev also said that in 1954, when he was 23 years old, he was opposed to the delivery of the Crimea to Ukraine.

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev's recent statements came as a shock to the West, especially to the USA. Gorbachev was known for his criticism of Putin before. Yet, Gorbachev has repeatedly stated that he did not support the policy of the United States and Ukraine. To crown it all, he praised Putin's recent "Valdai speech."