Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on February 28 that a journalist from the American television channel NBC News could be banned from entering the country after a trip to Crimea.
“Visit <…> Crimea from the territory of the Russian Federation is a violation of Ukrainian law. Violators are subject to legal liability. In particular, foreigners are also banned from entering Ukraine for such actions,” he wrote on Facebook (belongs to the Meta organization, recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation).
Nikolenko noted that at the moment the competent authorities are investigating the circumstances of the journalist’s arrival on the peninsula. The decision on further actions will be taken based on the results of the audit.
Earlier in the day, residents of Crimea told NBC News that Kyiv would not be able to take over the peninsula, as they would defend it. As the channel notes, the journalists arrived on the peninsula via the Crimean bridge from the Krasnodar Territory (which, according to Kyiv, is considered a criminal offense).
Crimea became a Russian region in March 2014 following a referendum following a coup in Ukraine. Kyiv still considers Crimea its territory. The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that the inhabitants of the republic voted for reunification democratically, in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the issue of Crimea is “finally closed.”