Ukrainian President: Challenge to world

Putin's visit to the Crimean peninsula, which began Monday, has provoked anger in Kiev.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko posted on his Facebook page that Putin's visit without the consent of the Ukrainian authorities "is a challenge to the civilized world" and meant to exacerbate the situation in eastern Ukraine, where conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces continues despite a shaky ceasefire deal.

"Such visits mean further militarization of the occupied Ukrainian peninsula and increase its isolation," Poroshenko said, according to a translation by Ukraine's official Ukrinform news agency.

Asked about Poroshenko's remarks

    Tuesday, Putin told reporters the subject was closed, according to state news agency Sputnik.

"I am not going to make any comments on this issue, because the future of Crimea has been decided by people who live on this territory," Putin is quoted as saying. "They have voted for the reunification with Russia. Period."

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that it was perplexed by Ukraine's response to the visit, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

"Visits by Russian officials to the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol are the Russian Federation's purely internal affair," the statement reportedly said.

Putin is meeting with security officials in Crimea on Wednesday, Tass said.

CNN