On 14 March 2014, amidst escalating protests in Kyiv that led to the removal of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, Russia annexed Crimea. This action was initiated when Moscow deployed troops in unmarked uniforms to the region. Subsequently, a hastily organised referendum was conducted, resulting in Crimea’s division from Ukraine. A year later, President Putin revealed that the groundwork for the annexation had been laid weeks prior to the event. The image depicts a ceremonial signing of the annexation treaty, featuring Crimea’s Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov, Sevastopol’s mayor Aleksei Chaliy, and Vladimir Konstantinov.
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