Russian PM Medvedev visits Crimea, unveils economic development plan

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited the newly-annexed Crimea on Monday, where he announced an economic development program. "No citizen in Crimea or Sevastopol should lose anything following reunification with Russia. They should only benefit ... This is what people are waiting for -- the creation of conditions for a calm and well-deserved life, confidence in the future and the feeling that they are part of a strong state ... We should satisfy these expectations." Medvedev's plan entails overhauling the Crimean health and education systems, opening Russian bank branches, gradually increasing pensions to meet Russia's national level, and instituting a special economic zone with tax breaks to attract investors. Ukraine has refused to acknowledge Russia's annexation of Crimea, deeming it illegitimate under the Ukrainian constitution and illegal.