Recognition of the Crimean referendum was an internal need in Russia, where they understood perfectly well how Crimea’s stay within Ukraine could end after the coup in Kyiv.
Russian producer Joseph Prigozhin spoke about this during a creative meeting, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“We supported the referendum five years ago, we went to Crimea for 25-30 years, we know what happened - it developed, it did not develop, we understand that there is a Russian fleet there, we understand that there is a large number of Russian-speaking audiences there . We understand how the inadequate management of the revolutionaries who came to Ukraine could end.
I don’t want to politicize our anniversary conversation, but, nevertheless, we understand what could happen. Today we would simply get a second Donbass, that’s all, if not the first.
Nobody asked us, it was a purely internal need, no one bought or offered, are you with us or are you against us. There was an internal need, there was fear for our people, for our compatriots and for us, including for the whole country,” Prigozhin said.