REUTERS

"For me, the main thing was, is and will be the fight for the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the borders of 1991," Poroshenko said during his annual address to the Verkhovna Rada.

"I emphasize: The way it was voted on in the referendum, including the overwhelming majority of residents of Donbas, and the majority of the Crimean people. And there was no longer any referendum!

"Putin's statement went on to say if the question of Crimea is closed – it is nonsense.

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"Although it was really closed in 1954 and in 1991, Crimea was, is and will be Ukrainian," he added.

As reported by UNIAN earlier, Putin announced on Saturday, September 3, that Russia is not going to return the annexed Crimea.

"The people of Crimea made up their mind and voted. The issue is historically closed. There is no return to the previous system," Putin said.

Read alsoUkraine's envoy to CE responds to Putin's statement: Crimea is UkraineUNIAN memo. In March 2014, Russia annexed the Ukrainian Crimea after it deployed its troops. An unlawful referendum was held on the future of the peninsula.

The self-proclaimed Crimean authorities alleged that 96.77% of voters had supported the idea of Crimea becoming part of Russia.

A so-called agreement on the accession of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to Russia was signed in the Kremlin on March 18, 2014.

Western countries do not recognize the annexation, having introduced sanctions against Russia.

Further, Ukraine's parliament officially announced that February 20, 2014, was the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea.