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| Contrary to Earlier Assertions, Putin Suggests Plan to Reclaim Crimea Began in February 2014 | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has publicly indicated for the first time that the planning to reclaim Crimea from Ukraine started weeks before the Crimean referendum on the issue, which he had cited repeatedly as the main reason for Russia’s annexation. | |
| Mr. Putin said he made the decision around 7 a.m. on Feb. 23, 2014, after an all-night emergency meeting with his security chiefs on the crisis in Ukraine. Viktor F. Yanukovych had just been deposed as president of Ukraine, and the meeting was called to discuss his rescue, Mr. Putin said. | Mr. Putin said he made the decision around 7 a.m. on Feb. 23, 2014, after an all-night emergency meeting with his security chiefs on the crisis in Ukraine. Viktor F. Yanukovych had just been deposed as president of Ukraine, and the meeting was called to discuss his rescue, Mr. Putin said. |
| Russia has long contended that it acted spontaneously to reclaim Crimea, mainly to protect Russian speakers who it said had been threatened, and to stave off what it suspected was an attempt by NATO to colonize the Black Sea. | Russia has long contended that it acted spontaneously to reclaim Crimea, mainly to protect Russian speakers who it said had been threatened, and to stave off what it suspected was an attempt by NATO to colonize the Black Sea. |
| Mr. Putin in particular has emphasized the role of the March 16 referendum in which an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to rejoin Russia. | Mr. Putin in particular has emphasized the role of the March 16 referendum in which an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to rejoin Russia. |
| But in a clip aired late Sunday from a new documentary called “Homeward Bound,” produced by state-run Channel One television, Mr. Putin put a different emphasis on events. | But in a clip aired late Sunday from a new documentary called “Homeward Bound,” produced by state-run Channel One television, Mr. Putin put a different emphasis on events. |
| ”I invited the leaders of our special services and the Defense Ministry to the Kremlin and gave them the task of saving the life of the Ukrainian president, who simply would have been liquidated,” he said in an interview for the documentary, speaking about the night of Feb. 22. | ”I invited the leaders of our special services and the Defense Ministry to the Kremlin and gave them the task of saving the life of the Ukrainian president, who simply would have been liquidated,” he said in an interview for the documentary, speaking about the night of Feb. 22. |
| Mr. Yanukovych had fled Kiev for southeastern Ukraine, and eventually made his way to Russia. | Mr. Yanukovych had fled Kiev for southeastern Ukraine, and eventually made his way to Russia. |
| ”We finished about seven in the morning. When we were parting, I told all my colleagues, ‘We are obliged to begin working to bring Crimea back into Russia,’” Mr. Putin said. | ”We finished about seven in the morning. When we were parting, I told all my colleagues, ‘We are obliged to begin working to bring Crimea back into Russia,’” Mr. Putin said. |
| That one sentence appears to indicate that Mr. Putin made the decision long more than three weeks before the referendum, but the clip from the documentary does not show any more of the interview. Channel One did not specify when the full documentary would be broadcast. | |
| Within days, unidentified soldiers began to overrun Crimea, raising the Russian flag over captured government buildings and expelling the Ukrainian military. | Within days, unidentified soldiers began to overrun Crimea, raising the Russian flag over captured government buildings and expelling the Ukrainian military. |
| At the time Mr. Putin denied Russia was involved, but later he admitted that the troops were in fact Russian special forces. | At the time Mr. Putin denied Russia was involved, but later he admitted that the troops were in fact Russian special forces. |
| The annexation proved wildly popular in Russia, and has helped to keep Mr. Putin’s approval rating well above 80 percent for the year. His revelation about his decision comes as the first anniversary approaches. | The annexation proved wildly popular in Russia, and has helped to keep Mr. Putin’s approval rating well above 80 percent for the year. His revelation about his decision comes as the first anniversary approaches. |
| In remarks broadcast last year, Mr. Putin said the final decision was based on “public sentiment.” He said the government first conducted secret opinion polls, which showed 80 percent of Crimea’s population supported the annexation, and then the referendum results were even stronger. | In remarks broadcast last year, Mr. Putin said the final decision was based on “public sentiment.” He said the government first conducted secret opinion polls, which showed 80 percent of Crimea’s population supported the annexation, and then the referendum results were even stronger. |
| Speaking elsewhere last year on a national call-in show, Mr. Putin said that he had delayed a decision to include Crimea in Russia’s fold while awaiting the referendum results. “It was very important for me to know what their will was,” he said, adding later, “I have already mentioned that the final decision to return Crimea to the Russian Federation was only based on the results of the referendum.” | Speaking elsewhere last year on a national call-in show, Mr. Putin said that he had delayed a decision to include Crimea in Russia’s fold while awaiting the referendum results. “It was very important for me to know what their will was,” he said, adding later, “I have already mentioned that the final decision to return Crimea to the Russian Federation was only based on the results of the referendum.” |
| Russia officially annexed Crimea on March 21, 2014. | Russia officially annexed Crimea on March 21, 2014. |
| The Russian role in annexing Crimea without negotiations with Ukraine, as well as in aiding the separatists fighting for autonomy in the southeast, has led to the worst crisis in relations between Russia and the West since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. | The Russian role in annexing Crimea without negotiations with Ukraine, as well as in aiding the separatists fighting for autonomy in the southeast, has led to the worst crisis in relations between Russia and the West since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. |
| Europe and the United States, angered that the post-World War II order of not changing borders by force had been violated, imposed repeated rounds of economic sanctions. | Europe and the United States, angered that the post-World War II order of not changing borders by force had been violated, imposed repeated rounds of economic sanctions. |
| Western leaders have also previously said that they had tired of Mr. Putin’s dissembling about Russia’s role in Ukraine. At one point over the past year of the crisis, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, stopped her periodic telephone conversations with Mr. Putin because she said he had misled her. | Western leaders have also previously said that they had tired of Mr. Putin’s dissembling about Russia’s role in Ukraine. At one point over the past year of the crisis, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, stopped her periodic telephone conversations with Mr. Putin because she said he had misled her. |
| Last month, the Novaya Gazeta newspaper published what it said was a memo prepared for the presidential administration in the first half of February 2014 about what logistical steps Russia could take to exploit the collapse of the Ukrainian government for its own good. Prying away Crimea was one of the recommendations. Dmitry S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the memo “had nothing to do with the Kremlin.” | Last month, the Novaya Gazeta newspaper published what it said was a memo prepared for the presidential administration in the first half of February 2014 about what logistical steps Russia could take to exploit the collapse of the Ukrainian government for its own good. Prying away Crimea was one of the recommendations. Dmitry S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the memo “had nothing to do with the Kremlin.” |