Russia mocks EU decision to bar Van Rompuy's Moscow visit

Russia on Wednesday mocked a European Council decision to bar its president from visiting Moscow.

President Herman Van Rompuy requested an urgent visit to Russia on Monday to hear the Russian opinion about the crisis in Ukraine ahead of an EU summit, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Noting Van Rompuy's wish was "commendable," Moscow said, by imposing a travel ban, Brussels was actually unwilling to know the truth about the developments in Ukraine.

• "They have a new blacklist now, that of EU officials prohibited to visit Russia. Ironically, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy tops this list," said the statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty Tuesday with leaders of Crimea to accept the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as part of Russian territory, defying condemnations and further sanctions by the West.

Claiming Crimea used to be and will be "inseparable" part of Russia, Putin slammed the West for bringing "no democracy and freedom but chaos and violence ... We were cheated repeatedly by the West."

Some 96.6 percent of voters in Crimea chose to join Russia at a Sunday referendum, whose results were rejected by several major Western powers. 
globaltimes.cn
19/3/14
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• European Council chief barred from Russia by own colleagues...