Russia has more rights to Crimea than Britain to Falklands - Russian lawmaker
MOSCOW. March 22 (Interfax) - Chairman of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee Alexei Pushkov said Crimea's status of Russian territory is more legitimate than the Falkland Islands' status as part of Britain.
"May I remind London that Crimea has a lot more rights to the status of Russian territory than the Falkland Islands to the status of Britain's territory," Pushkov wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
"London should have a break and have a Twix. All Western polls conducted in Crimea indicate that an absolute majority of Crimean residents support reintegration with Russia," Pushkov wrote.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond urged Russia on Sunday to return Crimea to Ukraine.
"Our message to Russia is consistent and clear: the annexation of Crimea was illegal and illegitimate in March 2014, and remains illegal and illegitimate in March 2015. Russia must return Crimea to Ukraine," Hammond said in a statement on Sunday on the occasion of the first anniversary of Crimea's reintegration with Russia.
The State Duma's parliamentary majority reacted strongly to this statement.
"Crimea has been part of Russia since March 2014. In this sense there is no difference between Crimea and Kamchatka, for instance," United Russia faction deputy head Frants Klintsevich told reporters on Sunday.
The Falkland islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean which de-facto is part of Britain. Britain's rights to the islands are being challenged by Argentina.
A military conflict broke out between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands in 1982. Argentina was defeated, but continues laying territorial claims on the islands.
