Putin compares Crimea to Kosovo and demands its recognition as part of Russia

Vladimir Putin

 Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for international recognition of Crimea as part of Russia and compared it to Kosovo.

Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014 and has since begun supporting a separatist movement in eastern Ukraine, Radio Free Europe reports.

In a speech on February 22, Putin said that the annexation of Crimea should be recognized as a legitimate reflection of the choice of local people.

The annexation of Crimea, following the holding of a referendum that has been described as rigged by the international community, has been widely condemned by Western powers and considered a violation of international law.

Kosovo declared its independence on February 17, 2008.

This happened almost nine years after NATO intervention against the Serbian army targets ended the almost two-year war.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in the war and thousands more have gone missing.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 2010 that Kosovo's independence "does not violate international law."

Kosovo citizenship has been recognized by over 100 countries.

On February 21, Putin also recognized the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, Donetsk, and Luhansk, as independent entities and ordered the deployment of Russian troops there.