Those elected to the Russian parliament in Crimea are buying the sanctions club membership – Petro Poroshenko

Ukraine will not accept the legitimacy of the election to the Russian Parliament on the territory of the Crimean Autonomous Republic.  The deputies elected are simply buying their membership in the ‘sanctions club’, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko was speaking to the 13th Annual Meeting of the Yalta European Strategy on its first session day.

"One of the sanctions should cover the so-called ‘Russian parliamentary election on the territory of Ukraine’. Our position is clear – we do not accept the legitimacy of the Russian election on the occupied land. Those who are going to be elected there in fact are buying their membership in the ‘sanctions club’, " Poroshenko said.Poroshenko also said that the suffering of Ukrainians is no longer the responsibility of certain individuals but the entire Russian ruling regime.
“We shall not forget about the Crimea – the occupied Ukrainian peninsular that Russia is turning into an area of heavy military presence is changing the balance of forces in the Black Sea to its own end. The Crimea is being turned into a real concentration camp with the Soviet type punishment is introduced,” Poroshenko added.