Calling out the United States for its hypocrisy in regards to Russian “interference” in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an address from the Kremlin on Tuesday that U.S. foreign policy is guided, not by international law, but by the “rule of the gun.”

Speaking before the Russian Federation Council, Putin announced his intention to make Crimea a part of the Russian Federation, arguing that the annexation followed the “will of the Crimean people,” as evidenced by the results of the March 16 referendum vote. The move was made despite opposition from the United States and Europe which on Monday imposed their first financial sanctions against Moscow for its “interference” in Ukraine.