Medvedev warns if Kiev attacks Crimea, retaliation is inevitable

"International law respects the will of the people," he tweeted in English, adding that Crimea is a Russian region

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev

© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Kiev’s decision to attack Crimea, if ever taken, might escalate the conflict and trigger Moscow to use of any kind of weapons, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote on his Twitter page on Saturday.

"International law respects the will of the people," he tweeted in English, adding that Crimea is a Russian region.

"Attacking Crimea means attacking Russia and escalating the conflict," Medvedev said warning that the Kiev regime "must understand that such attacks will be met" by Russia "with inevitable retaliation using weapons of any kind".

The Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city with a special status on the Crimean Peninsula, where most residents are Russian, refused to recognize the legitimacy of authorities that seized power amid riots during the illegitimate coup in Ukraine in February 2014.

Crimea and Sevastopol adopted declarations of independence on March 11, 2014. They held a referendum on March 16, 2014, in which 96.7% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters chose to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the reunification treaties on March 18, 2014. The documents were ratified by Russia’s Federal Assembly, or bicameral parliament, on March 21.

Despite the overwhelming results of the referendum, Kiev still refuses to recognize Crimea as part of Russia.