Vladimir Putin Opens the Crimean Bridge Driving a Truck

On Tuesday, May 14, Vladimir Putin drove a truck across the Kerch Strait into the annexed Crimean Peninsula, inaugurating the newly established road and bridge. It has been reported that the Russian president drove a distance of 19 kilometers to the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine in the truck. Some in Russia have named the newly constructed bridge 'Putin's Bridge.' During the ceremony, broadcast live on television, Mr. Putin, wearing jeans, drove an orange truck across the bridge while workers in Crimea were shown expressing their happiness at his visit. Mr. Putin stated among the workers, 'Thanks to our talent, this project, which was a kind of miracle, has been realized.' In response to the inauguration, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated that the 'illegal' construction of the Kerch Bridge disregards international law. He added, 'It may be a pessimistic view, but it is interesting that this project coincided with the anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars by the Stalin regime.' Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, an action that led to severe tensions in Russia's relations with the West and the imposition of sanctions by the United States and the European Union. The Kerch Strait Bridge was constructed at a cost of approximately $3.7 billion. The Kremlin announced that the bridge will be accessible for public transit starting Wednesday of this week. This bridge is considered the largest dual-purpose communication line – for vehicles and trains – in Europe. The railway line of this bridge is under construction and is expected to be operational by 2019. The bridge has four lanes for vehicle traffic and two lanes for trains. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president, stated, 'Putin himself proposed this project. Many did not believe such a project was feasible.' It was previously announced that this project would be inaugurated in December 2018, but later Moscow announced that this bridge, referred to as 'the Crimean Bridge,' would open for buses and private vehicles on May 15. Beyond the annexation of Crimea, Russia has faced criticism and sanctions from European countries due to its involvement in the unrest in Eastern Ukraine. In this context, Russia labeled U.S. sanctions as 'unacceptable'; the value of the ruble has decreased.