"The United States foreign policy establishment is in a state of denial about Crimea," McAdams stated on Sunday.  "What will that policy be in the foreseeable future? Denial of the political reality 

that a part of Ukraine did not accept an illegal, Washington-directed coup d'etat and instead chose to secede."

March 16 marks one year since the Crimean peninsula seceded from Ukraine and became a part of Russia after more than 96 percent of local voters supported the move in a referendum. The West refused to recognize Crimea's reunification with Russia claiming it violated Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and introduced several waves of sanctions targeting the country's economy and certain individuals.

"Though recent, credible polls demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of Crimean residents are pleased to re-join Russia, the US continues to pretend some sort of invasion took place and the residents are hostages," McAdams pointed out.