The gaffe challenged the Western stance declaring Crimea’s joining Russia illegal.
The Polish authorities have consistently come out in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and view Crimea’s 2014 reunification with Russia as an illegal annexation.
Warsaw readily joined in the EU-imposed sanctions on Russia and canceled all events planned for 2015 Year of Poland in Russia cultural festival. Besides, Poczta Polska stopped all their mail deliveries to the peninsula.
Crimea is a former region of Ukraine, which voted in a referendum to split from the country after an armed coup ousted Ukraine's elected government.
Crimean people asked Moscow to accept the region as part of the Russian Federation, which it did.
Kiev and its Western sponsors viewed it as an illegal annexation through military force and imposed sanctions against Russia over the move.
Moscow insists the Crimean people exercised their right to self-determination in full compliance with the UN Charter and other international laws.
