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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said Russia annexed Crimea and tried to split Ukraine to make the country drop the idea of joining the European Union and NATO.

"The moment of truth came in 2014. Ukraine has firmly embarked on the path of strengthening its freedom and independence, on the path toward the European Union and NATO," Poroshenko said, addressing the crowd at Kyiv's St. Sophia Square on Tuesday as Ukraine marks Unity Day and the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Reunification Act between the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, an UNIAN correspondent reports.

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According to Poroshenko, to force Ukraine to abandon this choice, Moscow annexed Crimea and tried to "split us into parts to easily swallow us."