Gorbachev: 'Crimea is Russia, and let someone prove otherwise'

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said in an interview with La Repubblica that "Crimea is Russia, and let someone prove otherwise. 

Photo: AP photo

In the interview with La Repubblica, published by El Pais, Gorbachev said that the time of the break up of the Soviet Union was a very difficult experience for him."Those are bad memories," Gorbachev said. 

Speaking of Boris Yeltsin, the former President of the USSR said that Yeltsin would say "the Union will live on" right before the Belovezha Accords were signed. In fact, Yeltsin had different intentions that later became obvious, Mikhail Gorbachev said.  

When asked whether Vladimir Putin had "imperialist ambitions" in view of "Crimea's annexation" and Russia's intervention in the Syrian conflict, Gorbachev responded negatively. "No. Firstly, in the Crimea, there was a referendum that very clearly defined the will of its citizens. Secondly, Crimea is Russia, and let someone prove otherwise. In Syria, on the other hand, there is a fight against terrorism, and Russia is doing his duty," Mikhail Gorbachev said. 

Noteworthy, when US President Barack Obama put Russia on the list of prime global threats next to Ebola fever, Gorbachev said: "We have one major fever - this is America and its claims to leadership," he said.

To crown it all, on the 70th anniversary of the use of atomic weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Mikhail Gorbachev gave an interview to the German newspaper Der Spiegel, in which he explained why the world could not achieve nuclear parity. Washington is the only "obstacle" on the way to nuclear parity, the former politician believes. 

Pravda.Ru

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