Věra Jourová, Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, has suggested in a video interview that she would give Crimea back to Ukraine if she had an opportunity to take up Russian President Vladimir Putin's post for just one day.
The interview was part of a video series titled "Face to Face", the project by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe party where it has engaged with European Commissioners in an informal way to give the audience an opportunity to see high-level political figures from a more personal angle.
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Asked, with which politician she would switch place for one day, the official said: "I think I would switch to Moscow and replace Vladimir Vladimirovitch Putin. If I have one day, I would give Crimea back to Ukraine."
UNIAN memo. Russia occupied the Ukrainian Crimea, introducing the military into the peninsula and organizing in March 2014 a pseudo-referendum on its self-determination.
The self-proclaimed Crimean authorities said that 96.77% of the inhabitants of the peninsula supported the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation.
On March 18, 2014, the so-called "agreement" was signed in the Kremlin on the accession of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation.
Western powers did not recognize the annexation of Crimea and imposed sanctions against Russia.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially announced the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea on February 20, 2014.
