Back in 2008, Putin said Russia recognized all of Ukraine's borders and, he added, there was no ethnic tensions at all in Crimea

Vladimir Putin, Is That You?




http://www.rferl.org/media/video/putin-crimea-ukraine/26942862.html

In an interview with Germany's ARD television in 2008, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow recognize all of Ukraine's borders, and that there is no issue of ethnic conflict in Crimea.