Putin’s empty vow over ruthless Crimea takeover exposed after eight years

Vladimir Putin’s past remarks during Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea are being revisited with renewed scrutiny, as the ongoing war in Ukraine enters another brutal phase. What once were presented as reassurances now stand in stark contrast to the current reality on the ground.

Eight years ago, in violation of international law, Russia seized control of the Crimean Peninsula. In an attempt to legitimize the takeover, the Kremlin organized a controversial referendum amid heavy military presence—one widely condemned by the international community. At the time, President Putin claimed that Russia’s actions were peaceful and rooted in protecting ethnic Russians in the region.

“We will not go to war with the Ukrainian people,” Putin declared in a televised address in 2014. “If we do take military action, it will only be for the protection of the Ukrainian people.” He added that Russian and Ukrainian forces were “brothers in arms” and would not stand on opposite sides of a conflict.

Yet, today, those words appear deeply disconnected from the present-day war.

Russian forces have entered Kharkiv—Ukraine’s second-largest city—with reports of heavy urban combat and explosions. A gas pipeline near Kharkiv was reportedly set on fire, and an oil depot in Vasylkiv, near Kyiv, was destroyed by a Russian airstrike. According to Ukrainian officials, special Russian units breached the city via Alekseevka, and fighting has erupted in central areas, including Hydropark.

Putin’s 2014 claim that Russian troops would never harm civilians—“There is no scenario where Russian troops would fire on women and children”—has come under renewed criticism. As civilian casualties continue to rise, estimates made by security analysts before the full-scale invasion suggested as many as 50,000 civilian deaths in a worst-case scenario.

During the 2014 Crimea operation, Putin also denied that Russian soldiers were involved in seizing military facilities, suggesting instead that they were local "self-defense groups"—a claim contradicted by subsequent evidence and admissions.

As the invasion of Ukraine escalates, Western nations have begun taking stronger economic measures. The U.S., U.K., Canada, and European allies have agreed to disconnect selected Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system. In a joint statement, they condemned what they called “Putin’s war of choice,” pledging to ensure that Russia pays a significant price for its aggression.

“We will hold Russia to account and collectively ensure that this war is a strategic failure for Putin,” the statement read.

The contrast between Putin’s past assurances and today’s violent reality has only sharpened global criticism, as pressure mounts on world leaders to further tighten sanctions and support Ukraine amid a growing humanitarian crisis.