Ukraine should reimburse Crimea for 25 years of ‘unfair treatment’ – Russian Duma speaker

The Crimea peninsula suffered big economic losses by being a part of Ukraine, so Kiev should be obliged to pay it compensation, suggested the speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament.

Vyacheslav Volodin called on MPs to study “how much the Crimean economy has lost from the disastrous policy of Ukraine.”

“Ukraine treated Crimea very unfairly, it has violated fundamental rights of the Crimean residents like linguistic rights … and destroyed the economy,” Volodin stated.

He also said that this data should be provided to European Parliament organizations, so “they would oblige Ukraine to pay what Crimea has lost within these 25 years,” apparently rounding up the 23 years between the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the reunification with Russia after the referendum in 2014. The lawmaker reiterated that Kiev should compensate for both material and moral damage.

The lawmaker has also suggested looking into the possible accountability of the EU for economic problems in the peninsula. “As for the money, we should analyze how much Ukraine owes and as the EU supports its [stance on Crimea’s independence], some part should be paid by the EU,” he said.

Volodin has also reminded that within five years after reunification with Russia, Crimea got “hospitals, schools, the Crimean bridge, energy [infrastructure] that ensures living a productive life.”

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