Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
| |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Ukrainian crisis, 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine and Russian military intervention in Ukraine | |||||||
 Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the treaty of accession with Crimean leaders in Moscow, 18 March | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Russia |
 Ukraine | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
Protesters
Russian military forces
Ukrainian Armed Forces defectors
|
Protesters Ukrainian military forces | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 Crimean SDF trooper killed[29] | |||||||
| 3 civilian deaths (2 pro-Russian and 1 pro-Ukrainian)[34][35][36][37][better source needed] | |||||||
The Crimean Peninsula was annexed by the Russian Federation in February–March 2014 and since then has been administered as two Russian federal subjects—the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol;[38] the annexation from Ukraine followed a Russian military intervention in Crimea that took place in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and was part of wider unrest across southern and eastern Ukraine.[39][40]
On 22–23 February 2014, Russian president Vladimir Putin convened an all-night meeting with security service chiefs to discuss the extrication of the deposed Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych. At the end of the meeting Putin remarked that "we must start working on returning Crimea to Russia".[4] On 23 February, pro-Russian demonstrations were held in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. On 27 February, masked Russian troops without insignia[7] took over the Supreme Council (parliament) of Crimea,[41][42] and captured strategic sites across Crimea, which led to the installation of the pro-Russian Aksyonov government in Crimea, the conducting of the Crimean status referendum and the declaration of Crimea's independence on 16 March 2014.[43][44] Russia formally incorporated Crimea as two federal subjects of the Russian Federation with effect from 18 March 2014.[45]
Ukraine and many world leaders condemned the annexation and consider it to be a violation of international law and Russian-signed agreements safeguarding the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the Belavezha Accords establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1991, the Helsinki Accords, the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances of 1994 and the Treaty on friendship, cooperation and partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine,[46][47] it led to the other members of the then G8 suspending Russia from the group,[48] then introducing the first round of sanctions against the country. The United Nations General Assembly also rejected the vote and annexation, adopting a non-binding resolution affirming the "territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders";[49][50] the UN resolution also "underscores that the referendum having no validity, cannot form the basis for any alteration of the status of [Crimea]" and calls upon all States and international organizations not to recognize or to imply the recognition of Russia's annexation.[50] In 2016, UN General Assembly reaffirmed non-recognition of the annexation and condemned "the temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine—the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol".[51][52]
The Russian Federation opposes the "annexation" label,[53] with Putin defending the referendum as complying with the principle of self-determination of peoples.[54][55] In July 2015, Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Crimea had been fully integrated into Russia.[56]
Background[edit]
Crimea became part of the Russian Empire in 1783, when the Crimean Khanate was annexed, then became part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic until 1954.[57] During the first stages of the Russian Civil War there were a series of short-lived independent governments (Crimean People's Republic, Crimean Regional Government, Crimean SSR) but they were followed by White Russian governments (General Command of the Armed Forces of South Russia and later South Russian Government). In October 1921, the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the Russian SFSR was instituted. After the Second World War and the subsequent deportation of all of the indigenous Crimean Tatars, the Crimean ASSR was stripped of its autonomy in 1946 and was downgraded to the status of an oblast of the Russian SFSR.
In 1954, the Crimean Oblast was transferred from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.[58]
In 1989, under perestroika, the Supreme Soviet declared that the deportation of the Crimean Tatars under Stalin had been illegal,[59] and the mostly Muslim ethnic group was allowed to return to Crimea.[60]
In 1990, the Soviet of the Crimean Oblast proposed the restoration of the Crimean ASSR;[61] the oblast conducted a referendum in 1991, which asked whether Crimea should be elevated into a signatory of the New Union Treaty (that is, became a union republic on its own). By that time, though, the dissolution of the Soviet Union was well underway; the Crimean ASSR was restored for less than a year as part of Soviet Ukraine before Ukrainian independence. Newly independent Ukraine maintained Crimea's autonomous status,[62] while the Supreme Council of Crimea affirmed the peninsula's "sovereignty" as a part of Ukraine;[63][64] the autonomous status of Crimea was limited by Ukrainian authorities in 1995.[65][66]
In September 2008, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko accused Russia of giving out Russian passports to the population in Crimea and described it as a "real problem" given Russia's declared policy of military intervention abroad to protect Russian citizens.[67]
On 24 August 2009, anti-Ukrainian demonstrations were held in Crimea by ethnic Russian residents. Sergei Tsekov (of the Russian Bloc[68] and then deputy speaker of the Crimean parliament[69]) said then that he hoped that Russia would treat Crimea the same way as it had treated South Ossetia and Abkhazia.[70] Crimea is populated by an ethnic Russian majority and a minority of both ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, and thus demographically possessed one of Ukraine's largest ethnic Russian populations.[71]
Already in 2011, some analysts speculated that the Russian government had irredentist plans:
...Russia wants to annex Crimea and is merely waiting for the right opportunity, most likely under the pretense of defending Russian brethren abroad.
— William Varettoni, 2011[72]
Euromaidan and the Ukrainian revolution[edit]
The Euromaidan protest movement began in Kiev in late November 2013 after President Viktor Yanukovych, of the Party of Regions, suspended the signing of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement.[73][74][75] Yanukovych won the 2010 presidential election with strong support from voters in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and southern and eastern Ukraine; the Crimean autonomous government strongly supported Yanukovych and condemned the protests, saying they were "threatening political stability in the country". The Crimean autonomous parliament said that it supported the government's decision to suspend negotiations on the pending association agreement and urged Crimeans to "strengthen friendly ties with Russian regions".[76][77][78]
On 4 February 2014, the Presidium of the Supreme Council considered holding a referendum on the peninsula's status, and asked the Russian government to guarantee the vote;[79][80] the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) responded by opening a criminal case to investigate the possible "subversion" of Ukraine's territorial integrity.[81] On 20 February 2014, during a visit to Moscow, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov stated that the 1954 transfer of Crimea from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic had been a mistake.[79]
The Euromaidan protests came to a head in late February 2014, and Yanukovych and many of his ministers fled the capital on 22 February.[82] After his flight, opposition parties and defectors from the Party of Regions put together a parliamentary quorum in the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament), and voted on 22 February to remove Yanukovych from his post on the grounds that he was unable to fulfill his duties,[83] although this legislative removal lacked the required three-quarter vote of sitting Rada members according to the constitution in effect at the time, which the Rada also voted to suspend.[84][85][86] Arseniy Yatsenyuk was appointed by the Rada to serve as the head of a caretaker government until new presidential and parliament elections could be held; this new government was recognised internationally, though the Russian government said that these events had been a "coup d'état", and that the caretaker government was illegitimate.[87][88]
History[edit]
Crimean crisis begins[edit]
The February 2014 revolution that ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych sparked a political crisis in Crimea, which initially manifested as demonstrations against the new interim Ukrainian government, but rapidly escalated. In January 2014 the Sevastopol city council had already called for formation of "people's militia" units to "ensure firm defence" of the city from "extremism".[89][90]
Crimean parliament members called for an extraordinary meeting on 21 February. Crimean Tatar Mejlis chairman Mustafa Dzhemilev said that he suspected that the meeting was arranged to call for Russian military intervention in Crimea.[91] In response to this, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that it would "use severe measures to prevent any action taken against diminishing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine";[nb 2] the party with the largest number of seats in the Crimean parliament (80 of 100), the Party of Regions of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, did not discuss Crimean secession, and were supportive of an agreement between President Yanukovych and Euromaidan activists to end the unrest that was struck on the same day in Kiev.[93][94]
On 22–23 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened an all-night meeting with security services chiefs to discuss extrication of the deposed Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, and at the end of that meeting Putin had remarked that "we must start working on returning Crimea to Russia."[4] On 23 February pro-Russian demonstrations were held in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
Crimean prime minister Anatolii Mohyliov said that his government recognised the new provisional government in Kiev, and that the Crimean autonomous government would carry out all laws passed by the Ukrainian parliament.[95] In Simferopol, a pro-Euromaidan rally of between 5,000–15,000 was held in support of the new government, and demanding the resignation of the Crimean parliament; attendees waved Ukrainian, Tatar, and European Union flags.[96] Meanwhile, in Sevastopol, thousands protested against the new Ukrainian government, voted to establish a parallel administration, and created civil defence squads with the support of the Russian Night Wolves motorcycle club. Protesters waved Russian flags, chanted "Putin is our president!", and said they would refuse to further pay taxes to the Ukrainian state.[97][98] Russian military convoys were also alleged to be seen in the area.[98] In Kerch, pro-Russian protesters attempted to remove the Ukrainian flag from atop city hall and replace it with the flag of Russia. Over 200 attended, waving Russian, orange-and-black St. George, and the Russian Unity party flags. Mayor Oleh Osadchy attempted to disperse the crowd and police eventually arrived to defend the flag; the mayor said "This is the territory of Ukraine, Crimea. Here's a flag of Crimea", but was accused of treason and a fight ensued over the flagpole.[99] On 24 February, more rallied outside the Sevastopol city state administration.[100] Pro-Russian demonstrators accompanied by neo-Cossacks demanded the election of a Russian citizen as mayor and hoisted Russian flags around the city administration; they also handed out leaflets to sign up for a self-defence militia, warning that the "Blue-Brown Europlague is knocking."[101] Volodymyr Yatsuba, head of Sevastopol administration, announced resignation, citing "decision of the city's inhabitants" made at pro-Russian rally, and while caretaker city administration initially leaned towards recognition of new Ukrainian government,[102] continued pressure from pro-Russian activists forced local authorities to concede.[103] Consequently, Sevastopol City Council illegally elected Alexei Chaly, a Russian citizen, as mayor. Under the law of Ukraine, it was not possible for Sevastopol to elect a mayor, as the Chairman of the Sevastopol City State Administration, appointed by the President of Ukraine, functions as its mayor.[104] A thousand protesters present chanted "A Russian mayor for a Russian city."[105]
On 25 February, several hundred pro-Russian protesters blocked the Crimean parliament demanding non-recognition of the central government of Ukraine and a referendum on Crimea's status.[106][107][108] On the same day, crowds gathered again outside Sevastopol's city hall on Tuesday as rumours spread that security forces could arrest Chaly, but police chief Alexander Goncharov said that his officers would refuse to carry out "criminal orders" issued by Kiev. Viktor Neganov, a Sevastopol-based adviser to the Internal Affairs Minister, condemned the events in the city as a coup. "Chaly represents the interests of the Kremlin which likely gave its tacit approval," he said. Sevastopol City State Administration chairman Vladimir Yatsuba was booed and heckled on 23 February, when he told a pro-Russian rally that Crimea was part of Ukraine, he resigned the next day.[105] In Simferopol, the Regional State Administration building was blockaded with hundreds of protesters, including neo-Cossacks, demanding a referendum of separation; the rally was organized by the Crimean Front.[109]
On 26 February, thousands clashed during opposing rallies in Simferopol.[110] Near the Supreme Council of Crimea building 4,000 and 5,000 Crimean Tatars and supporters of the Euromaidan-Crimea movement faced 600–700 supporters of pro-Russian organizations and the Russian Unity Party.[111] Supreme Council Chairman Vladimir Konstantinov said that the Crimean parliament would not consider separation from Ukraine, and that earlier reports that parliament would hold a debate on the matter were provocations.[112] Tatars created self-defence groups, encouraged collaboration with Russians, Ukrainians, and people of other nationalities, and called for the protection of churches, mosques, synagogues, and other important sites.[113] By nightfall the Crimean Tatars had left; several hundred Russian Unity supporters rallied on;[114] the new Ukrainian government's acting Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov tasked Crimean law enforcement agencies not to provoke conflicts and to do whatever necessary to prevent clashes with pro-Russian forces; and he added "I think, that way – through a dialogue – we shall achieve much more than with standoffs".[115] New Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko requested that the United Nations provide around-the-clock monitoring of the security situation in Crimea.[116] Russian troops took control of the main route to Sevastopol on orders from Russian president Vladimir Putin. A military checkpoint, with a Russian flag and Russian military vehicles, was set up on the main highway between the city and Simferopol.[117]
On 27 February, Russian special forces [118] seized the building of the Supreme Council of Crimea and the building of the Council of Ministers in Simferopol.[119][120] Russian flags were raised over these buildings,[121] and barricades were erected outside them.[122] Whilst the "little green men" were occupying the Crimean parliament building, the parliament held an emergency session,[123][124] it voted to terminate the Crimean government, and replace Prime Minister Anatolii Mohyliov with Sergey Aksyonov.[125] Aksyonov belonged to the Russian Unity party, which received 4% of the vote in the last election.[124] According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the Prime Minister of Crimea is appointed by the Supreme Council of Crimea in consultation with the President of Ukraine.[126][127] Both Aksyonov and speaker Vladimir Konstantinov stated that they viewed Viktor Yanukovych as the de jure president of Ukraine, through whom they were able to ask Russia for assistance.[128]
The parliament also voted to hold a referendum on greater autonomy set for 25 May; the troops had cut all of the building's communications, and took MPs' phones as they entered.[123][124] No independent journalists were allowed inside the building while the votes were taking place;[124] some MPs said they were being threatened and that votes were cast for them and other MPs, even though they were not in the chamber.[124] Interfax-Ukraine reported "it is impossible to find out whether all the 64 members of the 100-member legislature who were registered as present at when the two decisions were voted on or whether someone else used the plastic voting cards of some of them" because due to the armed occupation of parliament it was unclear how many MPs were present;[129] the head of parliament's information and analysis department, Olha Sulnikova, had phoned from inside the parliamentary building to journalists and had told them 61 of the registered 64 deputies had voted for the referendum resolution and 55 for the resolution to dismiss the government.[129] Donetsk People's Republic separatist Igor Girkin said in January 2015 that Crimean members of parliament were held at gunpoint, and were forced to support the annexation;[130] these actions were immediately declared illegal by the Ukrainian interim government.[131]
On the same day, more troops in unmarked uniforms, assisted this time by what appeared to be local Berkut riot police (as well as Russian troops from the 31st Separate Airborne Assault Brigade dressed in Berkut uniforms),[132] established security checkpoints on the Isthmus of Perekop and the Chonhar Peninsula, which separate Crimea from the Ukrainian mainland.[122][133][134][135][136] Within hours, Ukraine had effectively been cut off from Crimea.
On 1 March 2014, Aksyonov declared Crimea's new de facto authorities would exercise control of all Ukrainian military and security installations on the peninsula, he also asked Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been Yanukovych's primary international backer and guarantor, for "assistance in ensuring peace and public order" in Crimea.[137] Putin promptly received authorisation from the Federation Council of Russia for a Russian military intervention in Ukraine "until normalization of a socio-political environment in the country".[138][139] Putin's swift manoeuvre prompted protests of intelligentsia and demonstrations in Moscow against a Russian military campaign in Crimea. By 2 March, Russian troops moving from the country's naval base in Sevastopol and reinforced by troops, armour, and helicopters from mainland Russia exercised complete control over the Crimean Peninsula.[140][141][142] Russian troops operated in Crimea without insignia. On 4 March, Ukrainian General Staff claimed there were units of the 18th Motor Rifle Brigade, 31st Air Assault Brigade and 22nd Spetsnaz Brigade deployed and operating in Crimea, instead of Russian Black Sea Fleet personnel, which violated international agreements signed by Ukraine and Russia.[143][144] Despite numerous media reports and statements by the Ukrainian and foreign governments describing the unmarked troops as Russian soldiers, government officials concealed the identity of their forces, claiming they were local "self-defence" units over whom they had no authority;[145] as late as 17 April, Russian foreign minister Lavrov said that there were no spare armed forces in the territory of Crimea.[146]
Russian officials eventually admitted to their troops' presence. On 17 April 2014, Putin acknowledged the Russian military backed Crimean separatist militias, stating that Russia's intervention was necessary "to ensure proper conditions for the people of Crimea to be able to freely express their will".[39] Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu said the country's military actions in Crimea were undertaken by forces of the Black Sea Fleet and were justified by "threat to lives of Crimean civilians" and danger of "takeover of Russian military infrastructure by extremists".[147] Ukraine complained that by increasing its troop presence in Crimea, Russia violated the agreement under which it headquartered its Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol[148] and violated the country's sovereignty;[149] the United States and United Kingdom also accused Russia of breaking the terms of the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, by which Russia, the US, and the UK had reaffirmed their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.[150] The Russian government said the Budapest Memorandum did not apply due to "complicated internal processes" in Crimea.[151][152] In March 2015, retired Russian Admiral Igor Kasatonov stated that according to his information the Russian troop deployment in Crimea included six helicopter landings and three landings of IL-76 with 500 people.[153]
Legal issues surrounding Crimean annexation[edit]
The Russian–Ukrainian Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet[a] signed in 1997 and prolonged in 2010, determined the status of the military bases and vessels in Crimea prior to the crisis. Russia was allowed to maintain up to 25,000 troops, 24 artillery systems (with a calibre smaller than 100 mm), 132 armoured vehicles, and 22 military planes, on military base in Sevastopol and related infrastructure on the Crimean Peninsula; the Russian Black Sea fleet had basing rights in Crimea until 2042. Usage of navigation stations and troop movements were improperly covered by the treaty and were violated many times as well as related court decisions. February's troop movements were in "complete disregard" of the treaty.[155]
Both Russia and Ukraine are signatories to the Charter of the United Nations; the ratification of said charter has several ramifications in terms of international law, particularly those that cover the subjects of declarations of independence, sovereignty, self-determination, acts of aggression, and humanitarian emergencies. Vladimir Putin said that Russian troops in the Crimean peninsula were aimed "to ensure proper conditions for the people of Crimea to be able to freely express their will",[156] whilst Ukraine and other nations argue that such intervention is a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.[149]
Russia, United States, United Kingdom and Ukraine also signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, by which all these countries reaffirmed their obligation to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine (including Crimea) and to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.[157]
According to the Constitution of Russia, the admission of new federal subjects is governed by federal constitutional law (art. 65.2).[158] Such a law was adopted in 2001, and it postulates that admission of a foreign state or its part into Russia shall be based on a mutual accord between the Russian Federation and the relevant state and shall take place pursuant to an international treaty between the two countries; moreover, it must be initiated by the state in question, not by its subdivision or by Russia.[159]
On 28 February 2014, Russian MP Sergey Mironov, along with other members of the Duma, introduced a bill to alter Russia's procedure for adding federal subjects. According to the bill, accession could be initiated by a subdivision of a country, provided that there is "absence of efficient sovereign state government in foreign state"; the request could be made either by subdivision bodies on their own or on the basis of a referendum held in the subdivision in accordance with corresponding national legislation.[160]
On 11 March 2014, both the Supreme Council of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council adopted a declaration of independence, which stated their intent to declare independence and request full accession to Russia should the pro-Russian option receive the most votes during the scheduled status referendum; the declaration directly referred to the Kosovo independence precedent, by which the Albanian-populated Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija declared independence from Russia's ally Serbia as the Republic of Kosovo in 2008—a unilateral action Russia staunchly opposed. Many analysts saw the Crimean declaration as an overt effort to pave the way for Crimea's annexation by Russia.[161]
Crimean authorities' stated plans to declare independence from Ukraine made the Mironov bill unnecessary. On 20 March 2014, two days after the treaty of accession was signed, the bill was withdrawn by its initiators.[162]
At its meeting on 21–22 March, the Venice Commission stated that the Mironov bill violated "in particular, the principles of territorial integrity, national sovereignty, non-intervention in the internal affairs of another state and pacta sunt servanda" and was therefore incompatible with international law.[163]
Crimean status referendum[edit]
On 27 February 2014, following the takeover of its building by Russian special forces, the Supreme Council of Crimea voted to hold a referendum on 25 May, with the initial question as to whether Crimea should upgrade its autonomy within Ukraine;[164] the referendum date was later moved from 25 May to 30 March.[165] A Ukrainian court declared the referendum to be illegal.[166]
On 4 March, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia was not considering annexing Crimea, he said of the peninsula that "only citizens themselves, in conditions of free expression of will and their security can determine their future".[167] Putin later acknowledged that he had ordered "work to bring Crimea back into Russia" as early as February,[168] he also acknowledged that in early March there were "secret opinion polls" held in Crimea, which, according to him, reported overwhelming popular support for Crimea's incorporation into Russia.[169]
On 6 March, the Supreme Council moved the referendum date to 16 March and changed its scope to ask a new question: whether Crimea should accede to Russia or restore the 1992 constitution within Ukraine, which the Ukrainian government had previously invalidated; this referendum, unlike one announced earlier, contained no option to maintain the status quo of governance under the 1998 constitution.[170] Ukraine's then-acting President, Oleksander Turchinov, stated that "The authorities in Crimea are totally illegitimate, both the parliament and the government, they are forced to work under the barrel of a gun and all their decisions are dictated by fear and are illegal."[171]
On 14 March, the Crimean status referendum was deemed unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine,[172] and a day later, the Verkhovna Rada formally dissolved the Crimean parliament.[44]
The referendum was held despite the opposition from the Ukrainian government. Official results reported about 95% of participating voters in Crimea were in favour of seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia;[173] the results of referendum were questioned;[174] another report by Evgeny Bobrov, a member of the Russian President's Human Rights Council, suggested the official results were inflated and only 15% to 30% of Crimeans eligible to vote actually voted for the Russian option.[43][175]
The means by which the referendum was conducted were widely criticised by foreign governments and in the Ukrainian and international press, with reports that anyone holding a Russian passport regardless of residency in Crimea was allowed to vote.[176] After the OSCE refused to send observers Russia invited a group of observers from various European far-right political parties aligned with Putin, who stated the referendum was conducted in a free and fair manner.[177][178]
Breakaway republic[edit]
On 17 March, following the official announcement of the referendum results, the Supreme Council of Crimea declared the formal independence of the Republic of Crimea, comprising the territories of both the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which was granted special status within the breakaway republic.[179] The Crimean parliament declared the "partial repeal" of Ukrainian laws and began nationalising private and Ukrainian state property located on the Crimean Peninsula, including Ukrainian ports[180] and property of Chornomornaftogaz.[181] Parliament also formally requested that the Russian government admit the breakaway republic into Russia.[182] On same day, the de facto Supreme Council renamed itself the State Council of Crimea,[183] declared the Russian ruble an official currency alongside the hryvnia,[184] and announced that Crimea would switch to Moscow Time (UTC+4) on 30 March.[185]
Putin officially recognised the Republic of Crimea 'as a sovereign and independent state' by decree[186] and approved the admission of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol as separate federal subjects of Russia.[187]
Accession treaty and finalisation of the annexation[edit]
The Treaty on Accession of the Republic of Crimea to Russia was signed between representatives of the Republic of Crimea (including Sevastopol, with which the rest of Crimea briefly unified) and the Russian Federation on 18 March 2014 to lay out terms for the immediate admission of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol as federal subjects of Russia and part of the Russian Federation,[188][189] it was ratified by the Federal Assembly by 21 March.[190]
During a controversial incident in Simferopol on 18 March, some Ukrainian sources said that armed gunmen that were reported to be Russian special forces allegedly stormed the base; this was contested by Russian authorities, who subsequently announced the arrest of an alleged Ukrainian sniper in connection with the killings,[191][192] but later denied the arrest had occurred.[193]
The two casualties had a joint funeral attended by both the Crimean and Ukrainian authorities, and both the Ukrainian soldier and Russian paramilitary "self-defence volunteer" were mourned together;[194] the incident is now under investigation by both the Crimean authorities and the Ukrainian military.[195][196]
In response to shooting, Ukraine's then acting defense minister Tenyukh authorised Ukrainian troops stationed in Crimea to use deadly force in life-threatening situations; this increased the risk of bloodshed during any takeover of Ukrainian military installations, yet the ensuing Russian operations to seize the remaining Ukrainian military bases and ships in Crimea did not bring new fatalities, although weapons were used and several people were injured. The Russian units involved in such operations were ordered to avoid usage of deadly force when possible. Morale among the Ukrainian troops, which for three weeks were blockaded inside their compounds without any assistance from the Ukrainian government, was very low, and the vast majority of them did not offer any real resistance.[197]
On 19 March, President Putin submitted a treaty on Crimea's annexation by Russia and a constitutional amendment to set up two new federal subjects of the Russian Federation to the State Duma;[198] the Russian Constitutional Court found that treaty is in compliance with the Constitution of Russia. The court sat in an emergency session following a formal request by President Vladimir Putin to assess the constitutionality of the treaty.[199][200]
After the Russian Constitutional Court upheld the constitutionality of the treaty, the State Duma ratified it on 20 March;[201][202] the Duma also approved the draft federal constitutional law admitting Crimea and Sevastopol and establishing them as federal subjects.[203][204] A Just Russia's Ilya Ponomarev was the only State Duma member to vote against the measures. A day later, the treaty itself and the required amendment to article 65 of the Russian Constitution (which lists the federal subjects of Russia) were ratified by the Federation Council[205] and almost immediately signed into law by Putin.[206] Crimea's admission to the Russian Federation was considered retroactive to 18 March, when Putin and Crimean leaders signed the draft treaty.[207]
On 24 March, the Ukrainian government ordered the full withdrawal of all of its armed forces from Crimea.[208] In addition, the Ministry of Defense announced that approximately 50% of the Ukrainian soldiers in Crimea had defected to the Russian military.[209][210] On 26 March the last Ukrainian military bases and Ukrainian navy ships were captured by Russian troops.[211]
Subsequent events[edit]
 |
On 27 March, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution, which declared the Crimean referendum and subsequent status change invalid, by a vote of 100 to 11, with 58 abstentions and 24 absent.[212][213]
Crimea and Sevastopol switched to Moscow Time at the end of March.[214][215]
On 2 April, Russia formally denounced the 2010 Kharkiv Pact and Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet.[216] Putin cited "the accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol into Russia" and resulting "practical end of renting relationships" as his reason for the denunciation.[217] On the same day, he signed a decree formally rehabilitating the Crimean Tatars, who were ousted from their lands in 1944, and the Armenian, German, Greek, and Bulgarian minority communities in the region that Stalin also ordered removed in the 1940s.
On 11 April, the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea and City Charter of Sevastopol were adopted,[218] in addition the new federal subjects were enumerated in a newly published revision of the Russian Constitution.[219]
On 14 April, Vladimir Putin announced that he would open a ruble-only account with Bank Rossiya and would make it the primary bank in the newly annexed Crimea as well as giving the right to service payments on Russia's $36 billion wholesale electricity market – which gave the bank $112 million annually from commission charges alone.[220]
In July 2015, Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, declared that Crimea had been fully integrated into Russia;[221] until 2016 these new subjects were grouped in the Crimean Federal District.
On 8 August 2016, Ukraine reported that Russia had increased its military presence along the demarcation line.[222] In response to this military buildup Ukraine also deployed more troops and resources closer to the border with Crimea;[223] the Pentagon has downplayed a Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling Russian troops along the border a regular military exercise.[224] On 10 August, Russia claimed two servicemen were killed in clashes with Ukrainian commandos, and that Ukrainian servicemen had been captured with a total of 40 kg of explosives in their possession.[225] Ukraine denied that the incident took place.[226] Russian accounts claimed that Russian FSB detained "Ukrainian saboteurs" and "terrorists" near Armyansk; the ensuing gunfight left one FSB officer and a suspect dead. A number of individuals were detained, including Yevhen Panov, who is described by Russian sources as a Ukrainian military intelligence officer and leader of the sabotage group; the group was allegedly planning terror attacks on important infrastructure in Armyansk, Crimea. Ukrainian media reported that Panov was a military volunteer fighting in the east of the country, however he has more recently been associated with a charitable organization. Russia also claimed that the alleged border infiltration was accompanied by "heavy fire" from Ukrainian territory, resulting in the death of a Russian soldier.[227][228] Ukrainian government called the Russian accusations "cynical" and "senseless" and argued that since Crimea was Ukrainian territory, it was Russia which "has been generously financing and actively supporting terrorism on Ukrainian territory".[229]
In 2017, a survey performed by the Centre for East European and International Studies showed that 85% of the non-Crimean Tatar respondents believed that if the referendum would be held again it would lead to the same or "only marginally different" results. Crimea was fully integrated into the Russian media sphere, and links with the rest of Ukraine were hardly existent.[230][231]
On 26 November 2018, lawmakers in the Ukraine Parliament overwhelmingly backed the imposition of martial law along Ukraine's coastal regions and those bordering Russia in response to the firing upon and seizure of Ukrainian naval ships by Russia near the Crimean peninsula a day earlier. A total of 276 lawmakers in Kiev backed the measure, which took effect on 28 November 2018 and was ended on December 26th.[232][233]
On 28 December 2018, Russia completed a high-tech security fence marking the de facto border between Crimea and Ukraine.[234]
Transition and aftermath[edit]
Economic implications[edit]
The number of tourists visiting Crimea in the 2014 season was lower than in the previous years due to a combination of Western sanctions, ethical objections by Ukrainians, and the difficulty of getting there for Russians;[235][236] the Russian government attempted to stimulate the flow of tourists by subsidizing holidays in the peninsula for children and state workers from all Russia[237][238] which worked mostly for state-owned hotels. In 2015, overall 3 million tourists visited Crimea according to official data, while before annexation it was around 5.5 million on average. The shortage is attributed mostly to stopped flow of tourists from Ukraine. Hotels and restaurants are also experiencing problems with finding enough seasonal workers, who were most arriving from Ukraine in the preceding years. Tourists visiting state-owned hotels are complaining mostly about low standard of rooms and facilities, some of them unrepaired from Soviet times.[239]
According to the German newspaper Die Welt, the annexation of Crimea is economically disadvantageous for the Russian Federation. Russia will have to spend billions of euros a year to pay salaries and pensions. Moreover, Russia will have to undertake costly projects to connect Crimea to the Russian water supply and power system because Crimea has no land connection to Russia and at present (2014) gets water, gas and electricity from mainland Ukraine; this requires building a bridge and a pipeline across the Kerch Strait. Also, Novinite claims that a Ukrainian expert told Die Welt that Crimea "will not be able to attract tourists".[240]
The first Deputy to Minister of Finance of Russian Federation Tatyana Nesterenko said in her interview to Forbes Woman that the decision to annex Crimea was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin exclusively, without consulting Russia's Finance Ministry.[241]
The Russian business newspaper Kommersant expresses an opinion that Russia will not acquire anything economically from "accessing" Crimea, which is not very developed industrially, having just a few big factories, and whose yearly gross product is only $4 billion; the newspaper also says that everything from Russia will have to be delivered by sea, higher costs of transportation will result in higher prices for everything, and to avoid a decline in living standards Russia will have to subsidise Crimean people for a few months. In total, Kommersant estimates the costs of integrating Crimea into Russia in $30 billion over the next decade, i.e. $3 billion per year.[242]
On the other hand, western oil experts estimate that Russia's seizing of Crimea, and the associated control of an area of Black Sea more than three times its land area gives it access to oil and gas reserves potentially worth trillions of dollars, it also deprives Ukraine of its chances of energy independence. Most immediately however, analysts said, Moscow's acquisition may alter the route along which the South Stream pipeline would be built, saving Russia money, time and engineering challenges, it would also allow Russia to avoid building in Turkish territorial waters, which was necessary in the original route to avoid Ukrainian territory.[243] This pipeline was later canceled in favour of TurkStream, however.
_01.jpg)
Russian/Chechen businessman Ruslan Baisarov announced he is ready to invest 12 billion rubles into the construction of a modern sea resort in Crimea, which is expected to create about 1,300 jobs. Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of Chechnya, said that other Chechen businessmen are planning to invest into Crimea as well.[244]
The Russian Federal Service for Communications (Roskomnadzor) warned about a transition period as Russian operators have to change the numbering capacity and subscribers. Country code will be replaced from the Ukrainian +380 to Russian +7. Codes in Crimea start with 65, but in the area of "7" the 6 is given to Kazakhstan which shares former Soviet Union +7 with Russia, so city codes have to change; the regulator assigned 869 dialling code to Sevastopol and the rest of the peninsula received a 365 code.[245] At the time of the unification with Russia, telephone operators and Internet service providers in Crimea and Sevastopol are connected to the outside world through the territory of Ukraine.[246] Minister of Communications of Russia, Nikolai Nikiforov announced on his Twitter account that postal codes in Crimea will now have six-figures: to the existing five-digit number the number two will be added at the beginning. For example, the Simferopol postal code 95000 will become 295000.[247]
Regarding Crimea's borders, the head of Russian Federal Agency for the Development of the State Border Facilities (Rosgranitsa) Konstantin Busygin, who was speaking at a meeting led by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea said the Russian state border in the north of Crimea which, according to his claims, now forms part of the Russian-Ukrainian border, will be fully equipped with the necessary facilities.[248] In the area that now forms the border between Crimea and Ukraine mining the salt lake inlets from the sea that constitute the natural borders, and in the spit of land left over stretches of no-man's-land with wire on either side was created.[249] On early June that year Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a Government resolution No.961[250] dated 5 June 2014 establishing air, sea, road and railway checkpoints. The adopted decisions create a legal basis for the functioning of a checkpoint system at the Russian state border in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.[251]
In the year following the annexation, armed men seized various Crimean businesses, including banks, hotels, shipyards, farms, gas stations, a bakery, a dairy, and Yalta Film Studio.[252][253][254] Russian media have noted this trend as "returning to the 90's", which is perceived as a period of anarchy and rule of gangs in Russia.[255]
In 2015, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced a number of theft and corruption cases in infrastructure projects in Crimea, for example; spending that exceeded the actual accounted costs three times. A number of Russian officials were also arrested for corruption, including head of federal tax inspection.[256][257]
(According to February 2016 official Ukrainian figures) after Russia's annexation 10% of Security Service of Ukraine personnel left Crimea; accompanied by 6,000 of the pre-annexation 20,300 people strong Ukrainian army.[258]
As result of the Crimea unsettled status Russian mobile operators never expanded their operations on its territory and all mobile services are offered on the basis of "internal roaming", which caused significant controversy inside Russia. Telecoms however argued that expanding coverage to Crimea will put them at risk of Western sanctions and, as result, they will lose access to key equipment and software, none of which is produced locally.[259][260]
Human rights situation[edit]
In March 2014, Human Rights Watch reported that pro-Ukrainian activists and journalists had been attacked, abducted, and tortured;[261] some Crimeans were simply "disappeared" with no explanation.[262]
On 9 May 2014, the new "anti-extremist" amendment to the Criminal Code of Russia, passed in December 2013, came into force. Article 280.1 designated incitement of violation of territorial integrity of the Russian Federation[263] (incl. calls for secession of Crimea from Russia[264]) as a criminal offense in Russia, punishable by a fine of 300 thousand roubles or imprisonment up to 3 years. If such statements are made in public media or the internet, the punishment could be obligatory works up to 480 hours or imprisonment up to five years.[263]
Following the annexation of Crimea, according to report released on the Russian government run President of Russia's Council on Civil Society and Human Rights website, Tatars who were opposed to Russian rule have been persecuted, Russian law restricting freedom of speech has been imposed, and the new pro-Russian authorities "liquidated" the Kiev Patriarchate Orthodox church on the peninsula;[43] the Crimean Tatar television station was also shut down by the Russian authorities.[262]
After the annexation, on 16 May the new Russian authorities of Crimea issued a ban on the annual commemorations of the anniversary of the Deportation of the Crimean Tatars by Stalin in 1944, citing "possibility of provocation by extremists" as a reason.[265] Previously, when Crimea was controlled by Ukraine, these commemorations had taken place every year; the pro-Russian Crimean authorities also banned Mustafa Dzhemilev, a human rights activist, Soviet dissident, member of the Ukrainian parliament, and former Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars from entering Crimea.[266] Additionally, Mejlis reported, that officers of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) raided Tatar homes in the same week, on the pretense of "suspicion of terrorist activity";[267] the Tatar community eventually did hold commemorative rallies in defiance of the ban.[266][267] In response Russian authorities flew helicopters over the rallies in an attempt to disrupt them.[268]
In May 2015, a local activist, Alexander Kostenko, was sentenced to four years in a penal colony, his lawyer, Dmitry Sotnikov, said that the case was fabricated and that his client had been beaten and starved. Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya announced that they were judging "not just [Kostenko], but the very idea of fascism and nazism, which are trying to raise their head once again." Sotnikov responded that "There are fabricated cases in Russia, but rarely such humiliation and physical harm. A living person is being tortured for a political idea, to be able to boast winning over fascism."[269] In June 2015, Razom released a report compiling human rights abuses in Crimea.[270][271] In its 2016 annual report, the Council of Europe made no mention of human rights abuses in Crimea because Russia had not allowed its monitors to enter.[272]
In December 2016, the United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution on human rights in occupied Crimea, it called on the Russian Federation "to take all measures necessary to bring an immediate end to all abuses against residents of Crimea, in particular reported discriminatory measures and practices, arbitrary detentions, torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, and to revoke all discriminatory legislation." It also urged Russia to "immediately release Ukrainian citizens who were unlawfully detained and judged without regard for elementary standards of justice." [273]
According to the United Nations and multiple NGOs, the Russian Federation is responsible for multiple human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary detention, forced disappearances and instances of discrimination, including persecution of Crimean Tatars in Crimea since the illegal annexation.[274][275]
On June 12, 2018, Ukraine lodged a memorandum weighing about 90 kg, consisting of 17,500 pages of text in 29 volumes to the UN's International Court of Justice about racial discrimination by Russian authorities in occupied Crimea and state financing of terrorism by Russian Federation in Donbass.[276][277]
Between 2015 and 2019 over 134,000 people living in Crimea applied for and were issued Ukrainian passports.[278]
Crimean public opinion[edit]
A joint survey by American government agency Broadcasting Board of Governors and polling firm Gallup was taken during April 2014,[279] it polled 500 residents of Crimea. The survey found that 82.8% of those polled believed that the results of the Crimean status referendum reflected the views of most Crimeans, whereas 6.7% said that it did not. 73.9% of those polled said that they thought that the annexation would have a positive impact on their lives, whereas 5.5% said that it would not. 13.6% said that they did not know.[279]
A comprehensive poll released on 8 May 2014 by the Pew Research Centre surveyed Crimean opinions on the annexation.[280] Despite international criticism of 16 March referendum on Crimean status, 91% of those Crimeans polled thought that the vote was free and fair, and 88% said that the Ukrainian government should recognise the results.[280]
In a survey completed in 2019 by a Russian company FOM 72% of surveyed Crimeans said their lives have improved since annexation. At the same time only 39% Russians living in the mainland said the annexation was beneficial for the country as a whole which marks a significant drop from 67% in 2015.[281]
Ukrainian response[edit]
Immediately after the treaty of accession was signed in March, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Provisional Principal of Russia in Ukraine to present note verbale of protest against Russia's recognition of the Republic of Crimea and its subsequent annexation.[282] Two days later, the Verkhovna Rada condemned the treaty[283] and called Russia's actions "a gross violation of international law"; the Rada called on the international community to avoid recognition of the "so-called Republic of Crimea" or the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia as new federal subjects.
On 15 April 2014, the Verkhovna Rada declared the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol to be under "provisional occupation" by the Russian military[284] and imposed travel restrictions on Ukrainians visiting Crimea;[285] the territories were also deemed "inalienable parts of Ukraine" subject to Ukrainian law. Among other things, the special law approved by the Rada restricted foreign citizens' movements to and from the Crimean Peninsula and forbade certain types of entrepreneurship;[286] the law also forbade activity of government bodies formed in violation of Ukrainian law and designated their acts as null and void.[287] The law had little to no actual effect in Crimea itself due to the mutual non-recognition between Kiev and Simferopol.[citation needed]
Ukrainian authorities greatly reduced the volume of water flowing into Crimea via the North Crimean Canal due to huge debt for water supplied in previous year, threatening the viability of the peninsula's agricultural crops, which are heavily dependent on irrigation.[288]
The Ukrainian National Council for TV and Radio Broadcasting has instructed all cable operators on 11 March to stop transmitting a number of Russian channels, including the international versions of the main state-controlled stations, Rossiya-1, Channel One and NTV, as well as news channel Rossiya-cable operators on,[289] they said that this is because of Russian media showing them in a negative light.
In March 2014, activists began organising flash mobs in supermarkets to urge customers not to buy Russian goods and to boycott Russian gas stations, banks, and concerts. In April 2014, some cinemas in Kiev, Lviv, and Odessa began shunning Russian films.[290]
On 2 December 2014, the Ministry of Information Policy was created with one of its goals being, according to first Minister of Information, Yuriy Stets, to counteract "Russian information aggression".[291]
In December 2014, Ukraine halted all train and bus services to Crimea.[292]
On 16 September 2015 the Ukrainian parliament voted for the law that sets 20 February 2014 as the official date of the Russian temporary occupation of Crimean peninsula.[293][294] On 7 October 2015 the President of Ukraine signed the law into force.[295]
The Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs was established by Ukrainian government on 20 April 2016 to manage occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea regions affected by Russian military intervention of 2014.[296]
Russian response[edit]
In a poll published on 24 February 2014 by the state-owned Russian Public Opinion Research Center, only 15% of those Russians polled said 'yes' to the question: "Should Russia react to the overthrow of the legally elected authorities in Ukraine?"[297]
The State Duma Committee on Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, headed by Leonid Slutsky, visited Simferopol on 25 February 2014 and said: "If the parliament of the Crimean autonomy or its residents express the wish to join the Russian Federation, Russia will be prepared to consider this sort of application. We will be examining the situation and doing so fast."[298] They also stated that in the event of a referendum for the Crimea region joining the Russian Federation, they would consider its results "very fast".[299] Later Slutsky announced that he was misunderstood by the Crimean press, and no decision regarding simplifying the process of acquiring Russian citizenship for people in Crimea had been made yet,[300] he also added that if "fellow Russian citizens are in jeopardy, you understand that we do not stay away".[301] On 25 February, in a meeting with Crimean politicians, he stated that Viktor Yanukovych was still the legitimate president of Ukraine;[302] that same day, the Russian Duma announced it was determining measures so that Russians in Ukraine who "did not want to break from the Russian World" could acquire Russian citizenship.[303]
On 26 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian Armed Forces to be "put on alert in the Western Military District as well as units stationed with the 2nd Army Central Military District Command involved in aerospace defence, airborne troops and long-range military transport." Despite media speculation that this was in reaction to the events in Ukraine, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said it was for reasons separate from the unrest in Ukraine.[304] On 27 February 2014, the Russian government dismissed accusations that it was in violation of the basic agreements regarding the Black Sea Fleet: "All movements of armored vehicles are undertaken in full compliance with the basic agreements and did not require any approvals".[305][306][307]
On 27 February, the Russian governing agencies presented the new law project on granting citizenship.[308]
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the West and particularly NATO to "abandon the provocative statements and respect the neutral status of Ukraine".[309] In its statement, the ministry claims that the agreement on settlement of the crisis, which was signed on 21 February and was witnessed by foreign ministries from Germany, Poland and France had to this date, not been implemented[309] (Vladimir Lukin from Russia had not signed it[310]).
On 28 February, according to ITAR-TASS, the Russian Ministry of Transport discontinued further talks with Ukraine in regards to the Kerch Strait Bridge project.[311] However, on 3 March Dmitry Medvedev, the Prime Minister of Russia, signed a decree creating a subsidiary of Russian Highways (Avtodor) to build a bridge at an unspecified location along the Kerch strait.[312][313]
On Russian social networks, there was a movement to gather volunteers who served in the Russian army to go to Ukraine.[314]
On 28 February, President Putin stated in telephone calls with key EU leaders that it was of "extreme importance of not allowing a further escalation of violence and the necessity of a rapid normalisation of the situation in Ukraine".[315] Already on 19 February the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had referred to the Euromaidan revolution as the "Brown revolution".[316][317]
The Federation Council approved that Russia may introduce a limited contingent of Russian troops in Crimea[clarification needed] for the security of the Black Sea Fleet and the Russians.[318]
In Moscow, on 2 March, an estimated 27,000 rallied in support of the Russian government's decision to intervene in Ukraine;[319] the rallies received considerable attention on Russian state TV and were officially approved by the government.[319]
Meanwhile, on 1 March, five people who were picketing next to the Federation Council building against the invasion of Ukraine were arrested;[320] the next day about 200 people protested at the building of the Russian Ministry of Defence in Moscow against Russian military involvement.[321] About 500 people also gathered to protest on the Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, and the same number of people on the Saint Isaac's Square in Saint Petersburg.[322] On 2 March, about eleven protesters demonstrated in Yekaterinburg against Russian involvement, with some wrapped in the Ukrainian flag.[323] Protests were also held in Chelyabinsk on the same day.[324] Opposition to the military intervention was also expressed by rock musician Andrey Makarevich, who wrote in particular: "You want war with Ukraine? It will not be the way it was with Abkhazia: the folks on the Maidan have been hardened and know what they are fighting for – for their country, their independence. ... We have to live with them. Still neighborly, and preferably in friendship. But it's up to them how they want to live";[325] the Professor of the Department of Philosophy at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations Andrey Zubov was fired for his article in Vedomosti, criticising Russian military intervention.[326]
On 2 March, one Moscow resident protested against Russian intervention by holding a "Stop the war" banner, but he was immediately harassed by passers-by, and when the police were arresting him, a woman offered them a serious, fabricated charge against him, of beating up a child; however, her charge was rejected by the police.[327] Andrei Zubov, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, who compared Russian actions in Crimea to the Anschluss of Austria, was threatened. Akexander Chuyev, the leader of the pro-Kremlin Spravedlivaya Rossiya party, also objected to Russian intervention in Ukraine. Boris Akunin, popular Russian writer, predicted that Russia's moves would lead to political and economic isolation.[327]
President Putin's approval rating among the Russian public increased by nearly 10% since the crisis began, up to 71.6%, the highest in three years, according to a poll conducted by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research, released on 19 March.[329] Additionally, the same poll showed that more than 90% of Russians supported unification with the Crimean Republic.[329]
On 4 March, at a press conference in Novo-Ogaryovo, President Putin expressed his view on the situation that if a revolution took place in Ukraine, it would be a new country with which Russia had not concluded any treaties,[330] he offered an analogy with the events of 1917 in Russia, when as a result of the revolution the Russian Empire fell apart and a new state was created.[330] However, he stated Ukraine would still have to honour its debts.
Russian politicians speculated that there were already 143,000 Ukrainian refugees in Russia;[331] the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted those claims of refugee increases in Russia.[332] At a briefing on 4 March 2014, the director of the department of information policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevhen Perebiynis said that Russia was misinforming its own citizens as well as the entire international community to justify its own actions in the Crimea.[333]
On 5 March, an anchor of the Russian-owned international news channel RT America, Abby Martin, in an interview with Piers Morgan, said she "did not agree" with how her employer RT was covering the Ukrainian crisis, but claimed RT still supported her despite her differences of opinion;[334] also on 5 March 2014, another RT America anchor, Liz Wahl, of the network's Washington, DC bureau, resigned on air, explaining that she could not be "part of a network that whitewashes the actions of Putin" and citing her Hungarian ancestry and the memory of the Soviet repression of the Hungarian Uprising as a factor in her decision.[335]
In early March, Igor Andreyev, a 75-year-old survivor of the Siege of Leningrad, attended an anti-war rally against the Russian intervention in Crimea and was holding a sign that read "Peace to the World"; the riot police arrested him, and a local pro-government lawyer then accused him of being a supporter of "fascism". The retiree, who lived on a 6,500-ruble monthly pension, was fined 10,000 rubles.[336]
Prominent dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky said that Crimea should stay within Ukraine with broader autonomy.[337]
Tatarstan, a republic within Russia populated by Volga Tatars, has sought to alleviate concerns about treatment of Tatars by Russia, as Tatarstan is a gas-rich and economically successful republic in Russia.[338] On 5 March, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov signed an agreement on co-operation between Tatarstan and the Aksyonov government in Crimea that implied collaboration between ten government institutions as well as significant financial aid to Crimea from Tatarstan businesses.[338] On 11 March, Minnikhanov was in Crimea on his second visit and attended as a guest in the Crimean parliament chamber during the vote on the declaration of sovereignty pending the 16 March referendum;[338] the Tatarstan's Mufti Kamil Samigullin invited Crimean Tatars to study in madrasas in Kazan, and declared support for their "brothers in faith and blood".[338] Mustafa Dzhemilev, a former leader of the Crimean Tatar Majlis, believed that forces that were suspected to be Russian forces should leave the Crimean peninsula,[338] and asked the UN Security Council to send peacekeepers into the region.[339]
On 13 March, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a comparison between Crimea and Kosovo in a phone call with US President Barack Obama.[340]
On 15 March, thousands of protesters (estimates varying from 3,000 by official sources up to 50,000 claimed by opposition) in Moscow marched against Russian involvement in Ukraine, many waving Ukrainian flags.[341] At the same time, a pro-government (and pro-referendum) rally occurred across the street, counting in the thousands as well (officials claiming 27,000 with opposition claiming about 10,000).
In February 2015, the leading independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported[342] that it obtained documents, allegedly written by oligarch Konstantin Malofayev and others, which provided the Russian government with a strategy in the event of Viktor Yanukovych's removal from power and the break-up of Ukraine, which were considered likely; the documents outline plans for annexation of Crimea and the eastern portions of the country, closely describing the events that actually followed after Yanukovych's fall. The documents also describe plans for a public relations campaign which would seek to justify Russian actions.[343][344][345]
In June 2015 Mikhail Kasyanov stated that all Russian Duma decisions on Crimea annexation were illegal from the international point of view and the annexation was provoked by false accusations of discrimination of Russian nationals in Ukraine.[346]
International response[edit]
There have been a range of international reactions to the annexation; the UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution 100 in favour, 11 against and 58 abstentions in the 193-nation assembly that declared invalid Crimea's Moscow-backed referendum.[347] In a move supported by the Lithuanian President,[348] the United States government imposed sanctions against persons they deem to have violated or assisted in the violation of Ukraine's sovereignty;[349] the European Union suspended talks with Russia on economic and visa-related matters, and is considering more stringent sanctions against Russia in the near future, including asset freezes.[350][351] while Japan announced sanctions which include suspension of talks relating to military, space, investment, and visa requirements.[352] The United Kingdom qualified the referendum vote in Crimea of being "farcical", "illegal" and "illegitimate".[353]
The European Commission decided on 11 March to enter into a full free-trade agreement with Ukraine within the year.[354] On 12 March, the European Parliament rejected the upcoming referendum on independence in Crimea, which they saw as manipulated and contrary to international and Ukrainian law;[355] the G7 bloc of developed nations (the G8 minus Russia) made a joint statement condemning Russia and announced that they would suspend preparations for the planned G8 summit in Sochi in June.[356][357] NATO condemned Russia's military escalation in Crimea and stated that it was a breach of international law[358] while the Council of Europe expressed its full support for the territorial integrity and national unity of Ukraine;[359] the Visegrád Group has issued a joint statement urging Russia to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and for Ukraine to take into account its minority groups to not further break fragile relations. It has urged for Russia to respect Ukrainian and international law and in line with the provisions of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.[360]
China said "We respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine". A spokesman restated China's belief of non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations and urged dialogue.[361][362]
National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon of India stated that Russia has legitimate interests in Crimea and called for "sustained diplomatic efforts" and "constructive dialogue" to resolve the crisis.[363] However, the National Security Advisor is not a part of the Cabinet of India and, as such, Menon's statement was not an official statement issued by the government of India.[364] However, India subsequently made it clear that it will not support any "unilateral measures" against the Russian government. "India has never supported unilateral sanctions against any country. Therefore, we will also not support any unilateral measures by a country or a group of countries against Russia."[365] Both Syria and Venezuela openly support Russian military action. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that he supports Putin's efforts to "restore security and stability in the friendly country of Ukraine", while Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned Ukraine's "ultra-nationalist" coup.[366][367] Sri Lanka described Yanukovych's removal as unconstitutional and considered Russia's concerns in Crimea as justified.[368]
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for change in EU energy policy as Germany's dependence on Russian gas poses risks for Europe.[369]
On 13 March, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the Russian government it risks massive damage to Russia, economically and politically, if it refuses to change course on Ukraine,[369] though close economic links between Germany and Russia significantly reduce the scope for any sanctions.[370]
After Russia moved to formally incorporate Crimea, some worried whether it may do the same in other regions.[371] US deputy national security advisor Tony Blinken said that the Russian troops massed on the eastern Ukrainian border may be preparing to enter the country's eastern regions. Russian officials stated that Russian troops would not enter other areas.[371] US Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, warned that the same troops were in a position to take over the separatist Russian-speaking Moldovan province of Transnistria.[371]
On 9 April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe deprived Russia of voting rights.[372]
On 14 August, while visiting Crimea, Vladimir Putin ruled out pushing beyond Crimea, he undertook to do everything he could to end the conflict in Ukraine, saying Russia needed to build calmly and with dignity, not by confrontation and war which isolated it from the rest of the world.[373]
United Nations resolutions[edit]
Security Council resolution[edit]
On 15 March 2014, a US-sponsored resolution that went to a vote in the UN Security Council to reaffirm that council's commitment to Ukraine's "sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity" was not approved. Though a total of 13 council members voted in favour of the resolution and China abstained, Russia vetoed the resolution.[374]
General Assembly resolution[edit]
On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution describing the referendum leading to annexation of Crimea by Russia as illegal;[375] the draft resolution, which was titled "Territorial integrity of Ukraine", was co-sponsored by Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and the US. It affirmed the council's commitment to the "sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders." The resolution tried to underscore that the 16 March referendum held in Crimea and the city of Sevastopol has no validity and cannot form the basis for any alteration of the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea or of the city of Sevastopol. The resolution got 100 votes in its favour, while 11 nations voted against and 58 countries abstained from the vote; the resolution was non-binding and the vote was largely symbolic.[376]
International recognition[edit]
The vast majority of the international community has not recognised the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol as part of Russia. Most nations in North America, Central America, Europe, Oceania, and Africa, as well as Asia outside of the former Soviet republics, have openly rejected the referendum and the accession, and instead consider Crimea and Sevastopol to be administrative divisions of Ukraine; the remainder have largely remained neutral. The 27 March 2014 vote on United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262 (supporting the position that Crimea and Sevastopol remain part of Ukraine) was 100 to 11 in favour, with 58 states abstaining and a further 24 of the 193 member states not voting through being absent when the vote took place.
Afghanistan, Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe have recognised the result of the 2014 referendum in Crimea.[377]
The position of Belarus is vague: it includes statements made by Alexander Lukashenko that, on the one hand, "Ukraine should remain an integral, indivisible, non-aligned state", and "As for Crimea, I do not like it when the integrity and independence of a country are broken"; and on the other hand, "Today Crimea is part of the Russian Federation. No matter whether you recognize it or not, the fact remains", and "Whether Crimea will be recognised as a region of the Russian Federation de-jure does not really matter."[378]
Three non-UN member states recognised the results of the referendum: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Artsakh. A fourth, Transnistria, sent a request on 18 March 2014 to join the Russian Federation following the Crimean example and in compliance with the Admission Law provisions.[379][380][381] On 16 April 2014, Transnistria urged Russia and the United Nations to recognise its independence.[382] Putin is aware of Transnistria's recognition request, according to Dmitry Peskov;[383] the regional councils of Italy's northern regions Lombardy and Veneto have adopted a non-binding resolution on recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. The document also calls on the central government to work out a plan to lift the sanctions from Moscow, local news agency Il Giorno reports.[384]
Sanctions[edit]
Sanctions were imposed to prevent Russian and Crimean officials and politicians from travelling to Canada, the United States, and the European Union, they were the most wide-ranging applied to Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.[385][386][387][388][389]
Japan announced milder sanctions than the US and EU; these include suspension of talks relating to military, space, investment, and visa requirements.[390]
In response to the sanctions introduced by the US and EU, the Russian Duma unanimously passed a resolution asking for all members of the Duma to be included on the sanctions list.[391] Head of the opposition A Just Russia party Sergei Mironov said he was proud of being included on the sanctions list: "It is with pride that I have found myself on the black list, this means they have noticed my stance on Crimea."[391] Russian companies started pulling billions of dollars out of Western banks to avoid any asset freeze.[392]
Three days after the lists were published, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a reciprocal sanctions list of US citizens, which consisted of 10 names, including House Speaker John Boehner, Senator John McCain, and two advisers to President Obama; the ministry said in a statement: "Treating our country in such way, as Washington could have already ascertained, is inappropriate and counterproductive," and reiterated that sanctions against Russia would have a boomerang effect.[393] Several of those sanctioned responded with pride at their inclusion on the list, including John Boehner,[394] John McCain,[394] Bob Menendez,[395] Dan Coats,[394] Mary Landrieu, and Harry Reid.[396]
On 24 March, Russia imposed retaliatory sanctions on 13 Canadian officials including members of the Parliament of Canada,[397] banning them from entering Russia. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, said the sanctions were "a badge of honour."[398] Former Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler also said that he considered the sanctions a badge of honour, not a mark of exclusion.[397]
In March 2014, The Christian Science Monitor reported, "The good news is that so far, Russia has shown no inclination to use the NDN as leverage in the wake of US retaliation for its troop movements in Crimea."[399]
Expanded Western sanctions in mid-March coursed through financial markets, hitting the business interests of some of Russia's richest people;[400] the Americans centred on the heart of Moscow's leadership,[401] though the EU's initial list shied from targeting Putin's inner circle.[402] As ratings agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor's downgraded Russia's credit outlook,[403] Russian banks warned of a sanctions-induced recession,[404] the country braced for capital outflows for the first three months of 2014 to reach $70 billion,[405] more than the entirety of outflows for 2013,[406] and Russian government-bond issues plummeted by three-quarters compared with the same period the previous year.[407] Novatek, Russia's second-largest gas producer, saw $2.5bn in market value wiped out when its shares sank by nearly 10%, rendering Putin's close friend Gennady Timchenko, who has a 23% stake in the company, $575m poorer.[400] "I do hope that there is some serious diplomatic activity going on behind the scenes," said one Russian banker,[408] though others were more sanguine on the question of whether the sanctions would have any enduring effect,[403][409][410] and Russians, top and bottom, seemed defiant.[411] The official Russian response was mixed.[412]
Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexey Ulyukaev said that introduction of sectoral sanctions will lead to a serious decline of the Russian economy: economic growth of Russia will become seriously negative, the growth of volumes of investment will be even more negative, inflation will rise, and government revenues and reserves will go down.[413]
As well as differences between the United States and Europe as a whole as to how to respond to the Russian-backed incursion, those same differences have played out among Eastern European countries.[414]
A number of Russian citizens reported that they have been denied European visas after they visited Crimea after annexation.[415] A Russian consumer protection watchdog OZPP published a warning for Russian tourists about this risk, explaining that from the international law point of view, Crimea is an occupied territory, after which Roskomnadzor blocked the OZPP website "for threatening territorial integrity of Russian Federation".[416]
In response to having its voting rights revoked, Russia in June 2017 suspended its budget payments to the Council of Europe, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stating payments would not resume until all rights of Russia's delegation were fully restored.[417] Council Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland has suggested lifting the sanctions to avoid the impact of mounting budgetary restraints. However, Council members such as Ukraine and its supporters have argued that readmitting Russia without demanding concessions in return would amount to "caving to Russian 'blackmail'".[418][419]
Mapping[edit]
- As of May 2019[update], the United Nations still maps Crimea as belonging to Ukraine.[420]
- National Geographic Society stated that their policy is "to portray current reality" and "Crimea, if it is formally annexed by Russia, would be shaded gray", but also further remarked that this step does not suggest recognising legitimacy of such.[421] As of April 2014 Crimea is still displayed as part of Ukraine.[422]
- As of April 2014[update], Google Maps displays Crimea as a disputed territory to most viewers.[422] For the Russian and Ukrainian versions of website, Crimea is marked as belonging to corresponding country (Russia or Ukraine respectively).[422][423] Google stated that it "work(s) with sources to get the best interpretation of the border or claim lines".[424]
- As of April 2014[update], Yandex displays Crimea as Russian, except for users entering from their Ukrainian site and their Turkish site. Users visiting Yandex.ru from Russia will see Crimea displayed as Russian territory, users visiting yandex.ua from Ukraine will see Crimea as Ukrainian and all other users (from other countries)[citation needed] will see Crimea as Russian territory.[422] According to official statement, the company works with users from different countries and "displays reality that surrounds them".[425]
- As of March 2014[update], Bing Maps,[426] OpenStreetMap and HERE display Crimea as belonging to Ukraine.[422] In particular, Open Street Map requested its users to refrain from editing borders and administrative relations of subdivisions located in Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol until 31 May 2014.[422] On 5 June 2014 OpenStreetMap switched to a territorial dispute option, displaying Crimea as a disputed territory belonging to both countries.[427]
- In 2015, on the PepsiCo website a Russian-language map was visible for a few days that depicted Crimea as a part of Russia.[428]
- The 2016 edition of a French atlas published by Larousse shows Crimea as part of Russian territory: Oleh Shamshur, Ukrainian Ambassador to France, expressed shock.[429] Shortly after, Larousse corrected the mistake on the Atlas on their internet version,[430] and confirmed that Crimea is a region of Ukraine.[431]
- The Italian-language magazine of geopolitics Limes maps Crimea as a part of Russia since December 2015.[432] After protests by the Ukrainian embassy in Italy, the magazine editor Lucio Caracciolo wrote that "the map reflects reality; when Crimea and Sevastopol will be back under effective Ukrainian sovereignty, we will produce a map that reflects such reality".[433]
Economic impact[edit]
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2015) |
While initially (right after the annexation), salaries rose, especially those of government workers, this was soon offset by the increase in prices caused by the depreciation of the ruble. Subsequently, after Russian authority became established, wages were cut back again by 30% to 70%. Tourism, previously Crimea's main industry, suffered in particular; it was down by 50% from 2014 in 2015.[434][435] Crimean agricultural yields were also significantly impacted by the annexation. Ukraine cut off supplies of water through the North Crimean Canal, causing the 2014 rice crop to fail, and greatly damaging the maize and soybean crops.[436]
See also[edit]
- 1924 Estonian coup d'état attempt
- Simferopol incident
- Occupied territories of Georgia
- Reaction of Russian intelligentsia to the 2014 annexation of Crimea
- Russian irredentism
- Russian military intervention in Ukraine (2014–present)
- Crimean crisis (1992–1994)
- List of protests in the 21st century
Notes[edit]
- ^ Dilanian (2014) "CIA director John Brennan told a senior lawmaker Monday that a 1997 treaty between Russia and Ukraine allows up to 25,000 Russia troops in the vital Crimea region, so Russia may not consider its recent troop movements to be an invasion, U.S. officials said."[154]
- ^ If an official position can be sorted in more than one category, the "strongest" position was marked (from the "call for a peaceful resolution" to "interpretation as a military intervention" consecutively). For the sources see the image description.
- ^ There remain "some contradictions and inherent problems" regarding date on which the annexation began.[1] Ukraine claims 20 February 2014 as the date of "the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia.", citing timeframe inscribed on the Russian medal "For the Return of Crimea",[2] and in 2015 the Ukrainian parliament officially designated the date as such.[3] In early March 2015, President Putin stated in a Russian movie about annexation of Crimea that he ordered the operation to "restore" Crimea to Russia following an all-night emergency meeting of 22–23 February 2014,[1][4] and in 2018 Russian Foreign Minister claimed that earlier "start date" on the medal was due to "technical misunderstanding".[5]
- ^ It also noted that "certain politicians, local government officials, leaders of civil society organizations, and radically inclined individuals have attempted to create grounds for escalating the civil conflict, and have spread autonomous and separatist attitudes among the people, which could lead to the demise of our as a united nation and loss of its national sovereignty." In addition, the statement said that certain lawmakers of every level have begun separatist negotiations with representatives of foreign nations. "Open consultations are being held on the possible division of the country into separate parts in violation of the Ukrainian constitution," read the statement. "This could lead to an escalation of conflict between different sectors of society, inciting ethnic or religious hatred and military conflict."[92]
References[edit]
- ^ a b McDermott, Roger N. (2016). "Brothers Disunited: Russia's use of military power in Ukraine". In Black, J.; Johns, Michael (eds.). The Return of the Cold War: Ukraine, the West and Russia. London. pp. 99–129. doi:10.4324/9781315684567-5. ISBN 9781138924093. OCLC 909325250.
- ^ "7683rd meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Thursday, 28 April 2016, 3 p.m. New York".
Mr. Prystaiko (Ukraine): <...> In that regard, I have to remind the Council that the official medal that was produced by the Russian Federation for the so-called return of Crimea has the dates on it, starting with 20 February, which is the day before that agreement was brought to the attention of the Security Council by the representative of the Russian Federation. Therefore, the Russian Federation started — not just planned, but started — the annexation of Crimea the day before we reached the first agreement and while President Yanukovych was still in power.
- ^ (in Ukrainian) "Nasha" Poklonsky promises to the "Berkut" fighters to punish the participants of the Maidan, Segodnya (20 March 2016)
- ^ a b c "Putin describes secret operation to seize Crimea". Yahoo News. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Russia's Orwellian "diplomacy"". unian.info. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ Kofman, Michael (2017). Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine (PDF). Santa Monica: RAND Corporation. ISBN 9780833096173. OCLC 990544142.
By March 26, the annexation was essentially complete, and Russia began returning seized military hardware to Ukraine.
- ^ a b Courtney Weaver (15 March 2015). "Putin was ready to put nuclear weapons on alert in Crimea crisis". Financial Times. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ Аваков назвав захоплення аеропортів в Криму озброєним вторгненням і окупацією [Avakov called the seizure of airports in Crimea an armed invasion and occupation] (in Ukrainian). Ukrinform. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ "Ukrainian soldiers on border with Crimea pray for peace, prepare for war". Kyiv Post. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Besieged Ukrainian soldiers DEFECT to Russia as Kiev prepares to pull 25,000 troops and their families out of Crimea". Georgia Newsday. 20 March 2014. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ Bridget Kendall (2 March 2014). "New head of Ukraine's navy defects in Crimea". BBC. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ Weiss, Michael (1 March 2014). "Russia Stages a Coup in Crimea". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ Gumuchian, Marie-Louise; Smith-Spark, Laura; Formanek, Ingrid (27 February 2014). "Gunmen seize government buildings in Ukraine's Crimea, raise Russian flag". CNN. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine crisis: Crimea parliament asks to join Russia". BBC News. 6 March 2014.
- ^ "Putin signs treaty to add Crimea to map of Russia". The Concord Monitor. 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine 'preparing withdrawal of troops from Crimea'". BBC News. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ Matthew Fisher (24 March 2014). "Russia suspended from G8 over annexation of Crimea, Group of Seven nations says". National Post. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Russian Citizen Elected Sevastopol Mayor Amid Pro-Moscow Protests in Crimea". The Moscow Times. 25 February 2014.
- ^ a b "Ukraine leader Turchynov warns of 'danger of separatism'". Euronews. 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Russian flags flood Crimean capital as thousands back takeover by Russia". The Straits Times. 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ^ "Pro-Russian rally in Crimea decries Kiev 'bandits'". The Washington Post. 25 February 2014.
- ^ Pollard, Ruth (13 March 2014). "Russia closing door on Crimea as troops build up". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine troops leave Crimea by busload: Defense minister resigns after Russia seizes peninsula". CBS News. 25 March 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
- ^ "Crimean Tatars, pro-Russia supporters approach Crimean parliament building". UA. Interfax. 20 October 2012.
- ^ "Russia puts military on high alert as Crimea protests leave one man dead". The Guardian. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ Ewen MacAskill, defence correspondent (28 February 2014). "Ukraine military still a formidable force despite being dwarfed by neighbour". The Guardian.
- ^ "Putin Talks Tough But Cools Tensions Over Ukraine". NPR. 4 March 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ Faiola, Anthony (17 March 2014). "Ukraine mobilizes reservists but relies on diplomacy". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ Heather Saul; Kim Sengupta (19 March 2014). "Ukraine crisis: Pro-Russian troops storm naval base as Clinton warns of 'aggression' from Putin". The Independent. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Russian marine kills Ukraine navy officer in Crimea, says ministry". Reuters. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ Aleksander Vasovic; Gabriela Baczynska (24 March 2014). "Ukraine military to pull out from Crimea". The Sudbury Star. Reuters. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine troops leave Crimea by busload; defense minister resigns after Russia seizes peninsula – CBS News". 25 March 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014.
- ^ Pike, John. "Ukrainian Military Personnel".
- ^ "Two die in rallies outside Crimean parliament, says ex-head of Mejlis". Kyiv Post. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ JC Finley (27 February 2014). "Unrest in Crimea leaves 2 dead; government buildings seized". United Press International. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ^ Погибший крымский татарин шел в военкомат, захваченный "дружинниками" [The deceased was a Crimean Tatar on his way to enlist when he was captured "vigilantes"] (in Russian). LB.ua. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ Зверски убитого крымского татарина звали Решат Аметов. Трое малолетних детей осиротели. [Brutally murdered Crimean Tatar's name was Reshat Ametov. Three toddlers left orphaned.] (in Russian). censor.net.ua. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
- ^ "Putin signs laws on reunification of Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia". ITAR TASS. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin". kremlin.ru. 17 April 2014.
- ^ "Meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club". kremlin.ru. 24 October 2014.
I will be frank; we used our Armed Forces to block Ukrainian units stationed in Crimea, but not to force anyone to take part in the elections
- ^ Simon Shuster (10 March 2014). "Putin's Man in Crimea Is Ukraine's Worst Nightmare". Time. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
Before dawn on Feb. 27, at least two dozen heavily armed men stormed the Crimean parliament building and the nearby headquarters of the regional government, bringing with them a cache of assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades. A few hours later, Aksyonov walked into the parliament and, after a brief round of talks with the gunmen, began to gather a quorum of the chamber's lawmakers.
- ^ Alissa de Carbonnel (13 March 2014). "How the separatists delivered Crimea to Moscow". Reuters. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
Only a week after gunmen planted the Russian flag on the local parliament, Aksyonov and his allies held another vote and declared parliament was appealing to Putin to annex Crimea
- ^ a b c Ilya Somin (6 May 2014). "Russian government agency reveals fraudulent nature of the Crimean referendum results". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b Про дострокове припинення повноважень Верховної Ради Автономної Республіки Крим [On the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea]. Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 15 March 2014.
- ^ "Four years since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea". Government.no. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ Oleksandr Turchynov (20 March 2014). Декларація "Про боротьбу за звільнення України" [Declaration "On the struggle for the liberation of Ukraine"] (in Ukrainian). Parliament of Ukraine. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ Fred Dews (19 March 2014). "NATO Secretary-General: Russia's Annexation of Crimea Is Illegal and Illegitimate". Brookings. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ Bruno Waterfield; Peter Dominiczak; David Blair; The Daily Telegraph (24 March 2014). "Russia Temporarily Kicked Out of G8 Club of Rich Countries". Business Insider. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ "UN General Assembly adopts resolution affirming Ukraine's territorial integrity". China Central Television. 28 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ a b "United Nations A/RES/68/262 General Assembly" (PDF). United Nations. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ "A/RES/71/205 - E - A/RES/71/205". undocs.org.
- ^ "General Assembly Adopts 50 Third Committee Resolutions, as Diverging Views on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Animate Voting – Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". un.org.
- ^ Лавров назвал оскорбительными заявления Запада об аннексии Крыма [Lavrov called Western declarations about the annexation of Crimea as being offensive]. vz.ru (in Russian). 21 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ Mike Collett-White; Ronald Popeski (16 March 2014). "Crimeans vote over 90 percent to quit Ukraine for Russia". Reuters. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ Boris N. Mamlyuk (6 July 2015). "The Ukraine Crisis, Cold War II, and International Law". The German Law Journal. SSRN 2627417. Cite journal requires
|journal=(help) - ^ Jess McHugh (15 July 2015). "Putin Eliminates Ministry of Crimea, Region Fully Integrated into Russia, Russian Leaders Say". International Business Times. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- ^ Crimea profile – Overview BBC News, accessed 30 December 2015
- ^ Ragozin, Leonid (16 March 2019). "Annexation of Crimea: A masterclass in political manipulation". Al Jazeera.
- ^ Декларация Верховного Совета СССР "О признании незаконными и преступными репрессивных актов против народов, подвергшихся насильственному переселению, и обеспечении их прав" (in Russian). 1989.
- ^ "The Crimean Tatars began repatriating on a massive scale beginning in the late 1980s and continuing into the early 1990s. The population of Crimean Tatars in Crimea rapidly reached 250,000 and leveled off at 270,000 where it remains as of this writing [2001]. There are believed to be between 30,000 and 100,000 remaining in places of former exile in Central Asia." Greta Lynn Uehling, The Crimean Tatars (Encyclopedia of the Minorities, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn) iccrimea.org
- ^ ДЕКЛАРАЦИЯ О ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОМ И ПРАВОВОМ СТАТУСЕ КРЫМА (in Russian). 1990.
- ^ "Про внесення змін і доповнень до Конституції... від 19 June 1991 № 1213а-XII" (in Ukrainian). 19 June 1991.
- ^ Parliament of Ukraine (17 November 1994). Декларация о государственном суверенитете Крыма (in Russian). Government of Ukraine. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ Parliament of Ukraine (20 October 1999). О Республике Крым как официальном названии демократического государства Крым (in Russian). Government of Ukraine. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ^ Про внесення змін і доповнень до Конституції (Основного Закону) України. Верховна Рада України; Закон від 21 September 1994 № 171/94-ВР (in Ukrainian)
- ^ Про скасування Конституції і деяких законів Автономної Республіки Крим Верховна Рада України; Закон від 17 March 1995 № 92/95-ВР (in Ukrainian). 18 March 1995.
- ^ Tsukanova, Anya. Cheney urges divided Ukraine to unite against Russia 'threat' The Sydney Morning Herald (via Associated Press). 6 September 2008.
- ^ [1][permanent dead link]
- ^ [2][permanent dead link]
- ^ Levy, Clifford J. (28 August 2009). "Russia and Ukraine in Intensifying Standoff". New York Times. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ Ukraine's sharp divisions". BBC News. 23 April 2014.
- ^ William Varettoni (21 June 2011). "Crimea's Overlooked Instability". The Washington Quarterly. 34 (3): 87–99. doi:10.1080/0163660X.2011.588128.
- ^ Whitmore, Brian (6 December 2013). "Putin's Growing Threat Next Door". The Atlantic.
- ^ "Ukraine and the EU: Stealing their dream". economist.com.
- ^ "Yanukovych sees Association Agreement with EU as program of large-scale internal reforms". Kyiv Post. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Крымский парламент решил ещё раз поддержать Азарова и заклеймить оппозицию – Европейская правда, 27 ноября 2013
- ^ Решение ВР АРК от 27 November 2013 № 1477-6/13 "О политической ситуации". rada.crimea.ua (in Russian). 27 November 2013. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014.
- ^ Заявление ВР АРК от 22 January 2014 № 29-6/14-ВР "О политической ситуации" (in Russian). rada.crimea.ua. 22 January 2014. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014.
- ^ a b The Chronicles of Alienation; The annexation of Crimea from 2 December 2013, through 4 April 2014, The Ukrainian Week (16 March 2015)
- ^ Защитить статус и полномочия Крыма!. rada.crimea.ua (in Russian). 4 February 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014.
- ^ "Крымские татары готовы дать отпор попыткам отторжения автономии от Украины – Чубаров". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 16 February 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine crisis: Timeline". BBC News. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Archrival Is Freed as Ukraine Leader Flees". The New York Times. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
- ^ John Feffer (14 March 2014). "Who Are These 'People,' Anyway?". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Rada removes Yanukovych from office, schedules new elections for May 25". Interfax-Ukraine. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ Sindelar, Daisy (23 February 2014). "Was Yanukovych's Ouster Constitutional?". Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty (Rferl.org). Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine MPs appoint interim president as Yanukovych allies dismissed – 23 February as it happened". The Guardian. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ "Comment by the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the situation in Ukraine". Russia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ^ Рокировки в СБУ. Кто такие Маликов, Остафийчук и Фролов [Castling the SBU. Who are Malikov, Ostafiychuk and Frolov]. Novoe Vremia (in Russian). 25 June 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ Севастопольский горсовет обратился к властям Украины с требованием запретить деятельность ВО «Свобода» [Sevastopol City Council called Ukrainian authorities to ban All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda]. Novy Sevastopol (in Russian). 28 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
- ^ Uainfo Blogosphere. В Украине захватывают областные госадминистрации [In Ukraine, regional state administrations are being seized] (in Russian). Big Mir. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ^ "EuroMaidan rallies in Ukraine". Kyiv Post. 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Regions Party gets 80 of 100 seats on Crimean parliament". Interfax-Ukraine. 11 November 2010. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
- ^ "Regions of Crimea meeting didn't address separation of Crimea from Ukraine – deputy prime minister of Crimea". Interfax-Ukraine. 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
- ^ Прем'єр Криму Могильов заявляє, що виконуватиме нові закони (in Ukrainian). Radio Svoboda. 23 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
- ^ У Криму вимагають розпуску парламенту автономії і знесення пам'ятника Леніну (in Ukrainian). Radio Svoboda. 23 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
- ^ "Ukraine crisis fuels secession calls in pro-Russian south". The Guardian. 24 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
- ^ a b Bogdan Huzar (23 February 2014). "Rosja przygotowuje się do zbrojnej interwencji na Ukrainie?" [Russia is preparing for military intervention in Ukraine?]. Newsweek Polska (in Polish). Archived from the original on 24 February 2014.
- ^ "В Керчи митингующие сорвали украинский флаг и мэрии и повесили российский : Новости УНИАН". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ "У Севастополі вимагають віддати владу вибраному на мітингу меру | Українська правда". Ukrayinska Pravda. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine Liveblog: Day 7 — Decoding Documents & Indicting Dictators". The Interpreter. 24 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014.
- ^ Влада Севастополя визнала нову Верховну Раду [Sevastopol authorities recognised new Verkhovna Rada]. unian.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ Севастопольцы чуть не разгромили администрацию, но все же добились обещания передать все дела Алексею Чалому [Sevastopolitans nearly destroyed city administration, but got a promise [from local authorities] to hand all affairs over to Chaly]. News of Sevastopol (in Russian). 24 February 2014. Archived from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ Mark Nordberg (15 April 1998). "3. State and Institution Building in Ukraine". In Taras Kuzio (ed.). Contemporary Ukraine: Dynamics of Post-Soviet Transformation. M.E. Sharpe. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7656-3150-3. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ a b Howard Amos (25 February 2014). "Ukraine: Sevastopol installs pro-Russian mayor as separatism fears grow". The Guardian.
- ^ "Archived copy" От парламента Крыма потребовали провести референдум об отделении от Украины [[Pro-Russian demonstrators] demand that Crimean parliament hold referendum on separation from Ukraine]. "e-Crimea" News agency (in Russian). 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "Archived copy" Противники центральной власти пригрозили захватом парламента Крыма [Opponents of the central government [of Ukraine] threatened to seize Crimean parliament]. "e-Crimea" News agency (in Russian). 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Пророссийские силы заблокировали ВР Крыма, требуют референдума о независимости: парламент собирается на внеочередное заседание. [Pro-Russian forces blocked the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea demanding an independence referendum: Parliament to meet in an extraordinary session.] (in Russian). censor.net.ua. 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy" Активисты Крыма требуют отделения полуострова от Украины [Activists demand separation of Crimea from Ukraine] (in Russian). rbc.ru. 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "Stones, bottles thrown as pro-, anti-Russian protesters clash in Crimea". Russia Today. 26 February 2014.
- ^ Crimean Tatars, pro-Russia supporters approach Crimean parliament building, Interfax-Ukraine (26 February 2014)
- ^ У парламенті Криму заявили, що не планують відділятись від України [Crimean parliament stated they did not plan to separate from Ukraine]. Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 26 February 2014.
- ^ Татари розійшлися створювати самооборону, щоб захищати Крим [Tartars dispersed to organise themselves to defend Crimea]. Ukrayinksa Pravda (in Ukrainian). 26 February 2014.
- ^ Crimean Tatars leave parliament square; Russian Unity supporters continue rally, Interfax-Ukraine (26 February 2014)
- ^ Crimean police ordered to prevent clashes at any cost, Interfax-Ukraine (26 February 2014)
- ^ Ukraine asking UN to monitor security situation in Crimea round the clock, says security service chief, Interfax-Ukraine (26 February 2014)
- ^ Mark MacKinnon (26 February 2014). "Globe in Ukraine: Russian-backed fighters restrict access to Crimean city". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "Putin dedicates Russian 'Special Ops Forces Day' to date of 2014 Crimea parliament seizure".
- ^ Andrew Higgins; Steven Erlanger (27 February 2014). "Gunmen Seize Government Buildings in Crimea". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ "Lessons identified in Crimea – does Estonia's national defence model meet our needs?". Estonian World. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ Gumuchian, Marie-Louise; Smith-Spark, Laura; Formanek, Ingrid (27 February 2014). "Gunmen seize government buildings in Ukraine's Crimea, raise Russian flag". CNN.
- ^ a b "Lenta.ru: Бывший СССР: Украина: Украинский депутат объявил о бунте крымского "Беркута"".
- ^ a b http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/193292.html Number of Crimean deputies present at referendum resolution vote unclear]. Interfax-Ukraine, 27 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e RPT-INSIGHT: How the separatists delivered Crimea to Moscow. Reuters, 13 March 2014.
- ^ Crimea sets date for autonomy vote amid gunmen, anti-Kiev protests, (27 February 2014).
- ^ Crimean parliament to decide on appointment of autonomous republic's premier on Tuesday, Interfax Ukraine (7 November 2011).
- ^ (in Ukrainian) The new prime minister is the leader of Russian Unity, Ukrayinska Pravda (27 February 2014).
- ^ Крымские власти объявили о подчинении Януковичу. lenta.ru (in Russian). 28 February 2014.
- ^ a b Number of Crimean deputies present at referendum resolution vote unclear, Interfax-Ukraine (27 February 2014).
- ^ "Putin's narrative on Crimea annexation takes an evolutionary leap". Kyiv Post. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ Турчинов издал указ о незаконности избрания нового премьера Крыма (in Ukrainian). 1 March 2014.
- ^ "How 'Ukrainian Berkut Officer' from Russian Ulyanovsk Assaulted Crimean Parliament Back in 2014". InformNapalm. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "ПОСТ "ЧОНГАР" КОНТРОЛИРУЕТ КРЫМСКИЙ "БЕРКУТ" ПОДЧИНЕННЫЙ ЯНУКОВИЧУ видео) – 27 Февраля 2014 – "Новый Визит" Генический информационный портал". Archived from the original on 14 March 2014.
- ^ На Чонгарском перешейке дежурит «Беркут» и некие гражданские лица ["Berkut" and some civilians act as sentries at Chongarsky Isthmus] (in Russian). news.allcrimea.net. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ Армянск Информационный. "Армянск Информационный – Под Армянск стянулись силовики из "Беркута"".
- ^ "Lenta.ru: Бывший СССР: Украина: СМИ сообщили о блокпостах "Беркута" на въездах в Крым".
- ^ "Премьер-министр Крыма попросил Путина о помощи". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia.
- ^ Владимир Путин внёс обращение в Совет Федерации. kremlin.ru (in Russian).
- ^ Постановление Совета Федерации Федерального Собрания Российской Федерации от 1 марта 2014 года № 48-СФ "Об использовании Вооруженных Сил Российской Федерации на территории Украины" (PDF). Federation Council of Russia council.gov.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Russian Parliament approves use of army in Ukraine".
- ^ Walker, Shaun (4 March 2014). "Russian takeover of Crimea will not descend into war, says Vladimir Putin". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- ^ Yoon, Sangwon; Krasnolutska, Daryna; Choursina, Kateryna (4 March 2014). "Russia Stays in Ukraine as Putin Channels Yanukovych Request". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ Генштаб ЗСУ: у Криму – не лише військові з частин Чорноморського флоту [General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: in Crimea – not just soldiers from units of Black Sea Fleet] (in Ukrainian). Ukrayinska Pravda. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ В Крыму находятся российские военнослужащие не только из частей ЧФ РФ, утверждают в Генштабе ВСУ [The Black Sea Fleet are not the only Russian fighting forces to be found in Crimea, says the General Staff of AF of Ukraine] (in Russian). 4 March 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ "Russia says cannot order Crimean 'self-defense' units back to base".
- ^ "Speech by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his answers to questions from the mass media summarising the meeting with EU, Russian, US and Ukrainian representatives, Geneva, 17 April 2014". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. 17 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015.
- ^ Шойгу: действия Минобороны РФ в Крыму были вызваны угрозой жизни мирного населения (in Russian). Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 4 April 2014.
- ^ "Russia redeploys ships of Baltic and Northern fleets to Sevastopol, violates agreement with Ukraine". Ukrinform. 3 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ a b Charles Crawford (10 March 2014). "Vladimir Putin's illegal occupation of Crimea is an attempt to put Europe's borders up for grabs". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "25 March 2014". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. 25 March 2014. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ Медведев: Россия не гарантирует целостность Украины [Medvedev: Russia does not guarantee the integrity of Ukraine] (in Russian). BBC. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ "Statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding accusations of Russia's violation of its obligations under the Budapest Memorandum of 5 December 1994". Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1 May 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ^ "NATO Recon Missed Everything: Admiral Reveals Details of Crimea Operation". Sputnik. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ Dilanian, Ken (3 March 2014). "CIA reportedly says Russia sees treaty as justifying Ukraine moves". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ Yeroshko, Iryna (4 March 2014). "Ukraine: Russia shows 'complete disregard' for Black Sea Fleet agreement in Crimea". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014.
- ^ "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin". kremlin.ru. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ "Joint Statement by the United States and Ukraine". mfa.gov.ua. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Constitution of the Russian Federation". Official site. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ "Opinion on "Whether Draft Federal constitutional Law No. 462741-6 on amending the Federal constitutional Law of the Russian Federation on the procedure of admission to the Russian Federation and creation of a new subject within the Russian Federation is compatible with international law" endorsed by the Venice Commission at its 98th Plenary Session (Venice, 21–22 March 2014)". Venice Commission. 21–22 March 2014.
- ^ "Draft Federal Constitutional Law of the Russian Federation 'amending the Federal Constitutional Law on the Procedure of Admission to the Russian Federation and creation of a new subject of the Russian Federation in its composition' of the Russian Federation (translation)". 10 March 2014.
- ^ Крым определился, каким способом войдет в Россию (in Russian). Vedomosti. 11 March 2014.
- ^ Законопроект № 462741-6 О внесении изменений в Федеральный конституционный закон "О порядке принятия в Российскую Федерацию и образования в ее составе нового субъекта Российской Федерации" (в части расширения предмета правового регулирования названного Федерального конституционного закона). duma.gov.ru (in Russian).
- ^ "CDL-AD(2014)004-e Opinion on "Whether Draft Federal constitutional Law No. 462741-6 on amending the Federal constitutional Law of the Russian Federation on the procedure of admission to the Russian Federation and creation of a new subject within the Russian Federation is compatible with international law" endorsed by the Venice Commission at its 98th Plenary Session (Venice, 21–22 March 2014)". Venice Commission. March 2014.
- ^ Постановление ВР АРК "Об организации и проведении республиканского (местного) референдума по вопросам усовершенствования статуса и полномочий Автономной Республики Крым" (in Russian). rada.crimea.ua. 9 March 2014. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ Аксенов: перенос референдума в Крыму связан с тем, что конфликт вышел за пределы разумного (in Russian). Interfax.
- ^ "Суд признал незаконными назначение Аксенова премьером и проведение референдума в Крыму". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ Россия не рассматривает вариант присоединения Крыма к России (in Russian). Interfax. 4 March 2014.
- ^ "Putin reveals secrets of Russia's Crimea takeover plot". BBC. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
Soldatkin, Vladimir; Stamp, David (9 March 2014). "Putin says plan to take Crimea hatched before referendum". Reuters. Retrieved 10 March 2015. - ^ Путин: Россия не планировала присоединять Крым (in Russian). Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 10 April 2014.
- ^ Референдум в Крыму: ответ "нет" не предусмотрен. Voice of America (in Russian).
- ^ "Crimean authorities work under barrel of a gun – Ukraine leader". Reuters. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ "КС признал неконституционным постановление о проведении референдума в Крыму – Видео".
- ^ "Crimea referendum Wide condemnation after region votes to split from Ukraine Fox News". Fox News Channel. 16 March 2014.
- ^ Halimah, Halimah (17 March 2014). "Crimea's vote: Was it legal?". CNN. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ Paul Roderick Gregory (5 May 2014). "Putin's 'Human Rights Council' Accidentally Posts Real Crimean Election Results". Forbes.
- ^ "Declaring victory, Crimean and Russian officials pledge fast integration". Kyiv Post. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Extreemrechtse partijen uitgenodigd op referendum Krim" (in Dutch). De Redactie. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ "Referendum day in Crimea's Simferopol". Deutsche Welle. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ Постановление ГС РК № 1745-6/14 – О независимости Крыма [Resolution State Council Republic of Crimea № 1745-6/14 – On the independence of Crimea] (in Russian). rada.crimea.ua. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014.
- ^ Парламент Крыма национализировал порты полуострова и их имущество (in Russian). nbnews.com.ua. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014.
- ^ Крым национализировал "Черноморнефтегаз" (in Russian). glavred.info. 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Crimea applies to be part of Russian Federation after vote to leave Ukraine". The Guardian. 17 March 2014.
- ^ Крым начал процедуру присоединения к РФ, объявив о независимости (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Russian ruble announced Crimea's official currency". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2014.
- ^ Названа дата перехода Крыма на московское время. Lenta.ru (in Russian). 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Executive Order on recognising Republic of Crimea". Kremlin. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Распоряжение Президента Российской Федерации от 17 March 2014 № 63-рп "О подписании Договора между Российской Федерацией и Республикой Крым о принятии в Российскую Федерацию Республики Крым и образовании в составе Российской Федерации новых субъектов"". Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2016. at http://www.pravo.gov.ru (in Russian)
- ^ Договор между Российской Федерацией и Республикой Крым о принятии в Российскую Федерацию Республики Крым и образовании в составе Российской Федерации новых субъектов [Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on the acceptance of the Republic of Crimea into Russian Federation and education of new subjects of the Russian Federation] (in Russian). Kremlin.ru. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Ukraine crisis: Putin signs Russia-Crimea treaty, BBC, 18 March 2014
- ^ "Crimea, Sevastopol officially join Russia as Putin signs final decree". RT. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine officer 'killed in attack on Crimea base'". BBC. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
Crimean police later said both Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces had been fired on from a single location ... None of the accounts can be independently confirmed.
- ^ "Sniper that killed two seized in Crimea". The Voice of Russia. 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "Crimean prosecutors do not confirm info on Simferopol shooter detention". Interfax-Ukraine. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ Roland Oliphant (22 March 2014). "Ukraine's unlikeliest funeral: the only two foes to die in Russia's Crimea takeover are mourned together". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "Joint Funeral2" 'Opposing sides in Crimean conflict come together today for Simferopol funeral of two men killed, one Ukrainian, the other Russian', Kyiv Post, 22 March 2014
- ^ "Joint Funeral3" 'Funeral held for Crimea's first casualties', Agence France-Presse, 22 March 2014
- ^ Lavrov, Anton (2015). "Russian Again: The Military Operation for Crimea". In Pukhov, Ruslan (ed.). Brothers Armed: Military Aspects of the Crisis in Ukraine (Second ed.). Minneapolis: East View Press. ISBN 9781879944657. OCLC 921141500.
- ^ "Putin submits Treaty on Crimea's accession, new constitutional amendment to State Duma". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ "Treaty on Crimea's accession to Russia corresponds to Russian Constitution". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ "Russian Constitutional Court Backs Crimea Reunification". RIA Novosti. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ "State Duma ratifies treaty on admission of Crimea into Russia". ITAR TASS. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ "Госдума приняла закон о присоединении Крыма". Rossiyskaya Gazeta. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ "Справка о голосовании по вопросу:О проекте федерального конституционного закона № 475944-6 "О принятии в Российскую Федерацию Республики Крым и образовании в составе Российской Федерации новых субъектов – Республики Крым и города федерального значения Севастополя" (первое чтение)". Vote.duma.gov.ru. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ "Справка о голосовании по вопросу: О проекте федерального конституционного закона № 475944-6 "О принятии в Российскую Федерацию Республики Крым и образовании в составе Российской Федерации новых субъектов – Республики Крым и города федерального значения Севастополя" (в целом)". Vote.duma.gov.ru. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ "Russian Federation Council ratifies treaty on Crimea's entry to Russia". ITAR TASS. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ Подписаны законы о принятии Крыма и Севастополя в состав России kremlin.ru (in Russian)
- ^ "Федеральный конституционный закон от 21 марта 2014 г. N 6-ФКЗ "О принятии в Российскую Федерацию Республики Крым и образовании в составе Российской Федерации новых субъектов – Республики Крым и города федерального значения Севастополя"" (in Russian).
Article 1.<...>3. Republic of Crimea shall be considered admitted to the Russian Federation since date of signing of the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on the Accession of the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation and the Formation of New Federal Constituent Entities within the Russian Federation
- ^ "Ukraine orders Crimea troop withdrawal as Russia seizes naval base". CNN. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ "Defense Ministry: 50% Of Ukrainian Troops In Crimea Defect To Russia". Ukrainian News Agency. 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ Jonathan Marcus (24 March 2014). "Ukrainian forces withdraw from Crimea". BBC. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Russian troops captured all Ukrainian parts in the Crimea, BBC Ukrainian (26 March 2014)
- ^ "United Nations News Centre – Backing Ukraine's territorial integrity, UN Assembly declares Crimea referendum invalid". United Nations. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ Charbonneau, Louis. "U.N. General Assembly declares Crimea secession vote invalid". Reuters. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ "В 22.00 в Крыму и в Севастополе стрелки часов переведут на два часа вперёд – на московское время". 29 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
- ^ "Crimea to set clocks to Russia time".
- ^ Прекращено действие соглашений, касающихся пребывания Черноморского флота на Украине Kremlin.ru (in Russian)
- ^ See Presidential explanatory note to the denunciation bill (in Russian)
- ^ Nikiforov, Vadim (12 March 2014). Крым и Севастополь ожидают представления свыше. Kommersant (in Russian). Retrieved 23 April 2014.
- ^ Nezamyatnyj, Ivan (11 April 2014). Крым прописался в конституции России (in Russian). mk.ru.
- ^ Hobson, Peter (14 April 2014). "Sanctioned Bank Rossiya to Service $36Bln Domestic Electricity Market". The Moscow Times.
- ^ Jess McHugh (15 July 2015). "Putin Eliminates Ministry of Crimea, Region Fully Integrated into Russia, Russian Leaders Say". International Business Times. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ^ Sharkov, Damien (31 July 2016). "Ukraine Reports Russian Military Activity on Crimea Border". Newsweek.com. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Kaplan, Allison (9 August 2016). "Ukraine prepares for Russian 'attack' by moving troops to the border with Crimea". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ "Page not found". The Japan Times.
- ^ Shaun Walker in Moscow. "Putin raises stakes over alleged Ukrainian terror plot in Crimea | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Roland Oliphant (10 August 2016). "Putin accuses Ukraine of 'terror' over alleged Crimea raid". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Sheena McKenzie. "Ukraine troops on high alert amid growing tension with Russia". CNN. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ Moscow, Laura Mills in; Cullison, Alan; Washington, Carol E. Lee in (11 August 2016). "Dispute Between Russia and Ukraine Over Crimea Accusations Escalates". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Putin Accuses Ukraine of Terror as Crimea Tensions Escalate". Bloomberg. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Sasse, Gwendolyn (6 November 2017). "What Is the Public Mood Like in Crimea?". Carnegie Europe . Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ^ "ZOiS Report № 3. Terra Incognita: The public mood in Crimea" (PDF). November 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Kiev declares martial law after Russian seizure of Ukrainian ships in Black Sea". The Independent. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ "Poroshenko Ends Martial Law In Ukraine As Tensions With Russia Continue". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ^ "Ukraine conflict: Russia completes Crimea security fence". BBC. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Ash, Lucy (8 August 2014). "Tourism takes a nosedive in Crimea". BBC News Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ Smirnova, Yulia (17 March 2014). "Российские туристы поедут в Крым, если ...смогут туда добратьсяКомментарии [Russian tourists will travel to the Crimea, if they can get there ...]". Komsomolskaya Pravda. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
- ^ "Крым готовится к референдуму и ожидает Русских сезонов". РИА Оренбуржье. 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Снова в "Артек"". Vzglyad. 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Полуостров в тени материка". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Krim-Annexion wird zur Milliardenlast für Russland". Die Welt (in German). 17 March 2014.
- ^ "Decision to annex Crimea 'taken by Putin personally'". UNIAN. 3 March 2015.
- ^ "Расходный полуостров". Kommersant. 7 March 2014.
- ^ "In taking Crimea, Putin gains a sea of fuel reserves". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ "Оздоровлением курортов Крыма займется Руслан Байсаров". Top.rbc.ru. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ "Central Telegraph to set Russian tariffs on telegrams in Crimea Apr 3". Prime. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ "Крымчанам придется поменять номера телефонов и SIM-карты". comnews.ru. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ ""Почта России" переводит почтовое сообщение с Крымом на российские тарифы". comnews.ru. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
- ^ "Russian state border in north Crimea to be fully equipped in early May". ITAR TASS. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
- ^ "Sneaking into Crimea – Or Maybe Not". Forbes. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
- ^ О пунктах пропуска через государственную границу России в Республике Крым и городе Севастополе
- ^ "Government Order on checkpoints at the Russian border in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol". Government of Russia. 7 June 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- ^ Mills, Laura; Dahlburg, John-Thor (2 December 2014). "Change of leadership in Crimea means property grab". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 December 2014.
- ^ MacFarquhar, Neil (10 January 2015). "Seizing Assets in Crimea, From Shipyard to Film Studio". The New York Times.
- ^ Antonova, Maria (27 February 2015). "Under Russia, isolated Crimea is twilight zone for business". Yahoo News. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 1 March 2015.
- ^ "На часах – "девяностые"". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Second Russian Official in 2 Days Arrested in Crimea Over Corruption". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "СКР выявил трехкратное завышение сметы на дороги в Крыму". Новости Mail.Ru. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ (in Ukrainian) After the annexation of Crimea left only 10% of staff SBU, Ukrayinska Pravda (8 February 2016)
- ^ "Crimea will not have large telecom operators of Russian Federation because of sanctions". CrimeaSOS. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ^ Роуминг МТС в Крыму: есть или нет в 2018 году. mts-guide.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ^ "Crimea: Attacks, 'Disappearances' by Illegal Forces". Human Rights Watch. 14 March 2014.
- ^ a b News, Sarah Rainsford BBC. "Ukraine crisis: Crimean Tatars uneasy under Russia rule". BBC News. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b Федеральный закон от 28 December 2013 N 433-ФЗ "О внесении изменения в Уголовный кодекс Российской Федерации" (in Russian)
- ^ Автор статьи: Мария Макутина. "За призывы вернуть Крым Украине можно будет лишиться свободы сроком до пяти лет – РБК daily". Rbcdaily.ru. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ Крымским татарам запретили митинговать [Crimean Tatars have been banned from holding protest rallies] (in Russian). gazeta.ru. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ a b Hille, Katherine (18 May 2014). "Crimean Tatars defy ban on rallies to commemorate deportation". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ a b Winning, Alexander (18 May 2014). "Crimean Tatars commemorate Soviet deportation despite ban". Reuters. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Crimea helicopters try to disrupt Tatar rallies". BBC News. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Russia jails Crimea activist for 4 years over Kiev protest allegations". Global Post. Agence France-Press. 15 May 2015.
- ^ Bilych, Ivanna; Neumann, Andreas; Okpara, Victor C.; Pichaipillai, Ajitha; de Moura Sena, Matheus; Sharvan, Olena (15 June 2015). "Human Rights on Occupied Territory: Case of Crimea". Razom.
- ^ Chalupa, Andrea (23 June 2015). "Crimean Gangland: Putin's Seaside Mafia State". The Daily Beast.
- ^ Melkozerova, Veronika (21 June 2016). "Ukrainian lawmakers fume over omission of Ukraine from human rights report". Kyiv Post.
- ^ "UN General Assembly votes for resolution on human rights in Crimea". Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Crimea: Persecution of Crimean Tatars Intensifies | Human Rights Watch".
- ^ "UN accuses Russia of multiple human rights abuses". The Independent. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "UAWire – Ukraine files memorandum with UN Court of Justice containing evidence of Russia's involvement in 'financing of terrorism'".
- ^ "Ukraine submits to ICJ evidence of Russian crimes in Crimea, Donbas | UNIAN".
- ^ "Более ста тысяч крымчан получили украинские загранпаспорта | Новые Известия". newizv.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ a b "News-gathering and policy perceptions in Ukraine" (PDF). Broadcasting Board of Governors. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Despite Concerns about Governance, Ukrainians Want to Remain One Country" (PDF) (Press release). Pew Research Centre. 8 May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ Times, The Moscow (15 March 2019). "Russians Conflicted Over Crimea Annexation's Value". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ МИД вызвал Временного поверенного в делах РФ в Украине для вручения ноты-протеста (in Russian). unn.com.ua. 18 March 2014. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014.
- ^ Декларація "Про боротьбу за звільнення України" (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada.
- ^ Верховна Рада України ухвалила Закон "Про забезпечення прав і свобод громадян та правовий режим на тимчасово окупованій території України" (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada. 15 April 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine Parliament declares Crimea temporarily occupied territory". news.biharprabha.com. Indo-Asian News Service. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
- ^ Верховная Рада Украины приняла Закон "Об обеспечении прав и свобод граждан и правовом режиме на временно оккупированной территории Украины" (in Russian). Verkhovna Rada. 15 April 2014.
- ^ Рада приняла закон о защите прав граждан "оккупированного Крыма". Vzglyad (in Russian). 15 April 2014.
- ^ "Russia fears Crimea water shortage as supply drops". BBC News. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ Ennis, Stephen (12 March 2014). "Ukraine hits back at Russian TV onslaught". BBC. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ Некоторые кинотеатры Киева, Львова и Одессы объявили бойкот российской кинопродукции (in Russian). ЦензорНЕТ. 11 April 2014
- ^ "Journalists, free speech activists demand abolishing of newly-formed 'Ministry of Truth'". Kyiv Post. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ "Ukraine conflict: Crimea hit by shortages". BBC News. 8 January 2015.
- ^ Rada names 20 February 2014 as official date of Crimea, Sevastopol occupation by Russia. Interfax Ukraine. 16 September 2015
- ^ Rada names 20 Feb. 2014 as official date of Crimea, Sevastopol occupation by Russia. Kyiv Post. 15 September 2015
- ^ President recognised 20 February as the official date of Crimean occupation. Ukrinform. 7 October 2015
- ^ (in Ukrainian) The Cabinet decided to create the Ministry of temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons, Ukrayinska Pravda (20 April 2016)
- ^ "4 Reasons Putin Is Already Losing in Ukraine". Time. 3 March 2014.
- ^ Rothkopf, David (25 February 2014). "All (Not) Quiet on Ukraine's Eastern Front". Foreign policy.
- ^ "Российские паспорта и присоединение к РФ: Депутаты Госдумы прибыли в Крым (Rossiyskiye pasporta i prisoyedineniye k RF: Deputaty Gosdumy pribyli v Krym)" [Russian passports and joining Russia: State Duma deputies arrived in Crimea]. Gordonua (in Ukrainian). 25 February 2014.
- ^ "В Госдуме опровергли данные о выдаче паспортов РФ жителям Крыма (V Gosdume oprovergli dannyye o vydache pasportov RF zhitelyam Kryma)" [The State Duma has denied information about issuing passports to residents of Crimea RF]. Argumenty i Fakty (in Ukrainian). 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Росія обіцяє втрутитися, якщо росіянам в Україні буде загроза (Rosiya obitsyaye vtrutytysya, yakshcho rosiyanam v Ukrayini bude zahroza)" [Russia promises to intervene if the Russians in Ukraine threatened]. Українська правда (Ukrayins'ka pravda) [Ukrainian Pravda] (in Ukrainian). UA. 25 February 2014.
- ^ "У Росії Януковича все ще вважають президентом – Слуцький (U Rosiyi Yanukovycha vse shche vvazhayut' prezydentom – Sluts'kyy)" [In Russia Yanukovych's still the president – Slutsky]. Українська правда (Ukrayins'ka pravda) [Ukrainian Pravda]. UA. 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Госдума России обсуждает меры по защите крымчан (Gosduma Rossii obsuzhdayet mery po zashchite krymchan)" [Russian State Duma discusses measures to protect the Crimean]. RU: Интерфакс (Interfax).
- ^ Alpert, Lukas I. "Russia Orders Military Exercises Amid Ukraine Tension". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Комментарий Департамента информации и печати МИД России в связи с вопросом СМИ о продвижении бронетехники Черноморского флота [Comment from the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with media question over the issue of movement of Black Sea fleet armoured vehicles] (Press release) (in Russian). Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 27 February 2014. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Russian Defense Ministry: The Black Sea Fleet is not a threat to the situation in Ukraine". RIA News. 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the movement of armored vehicles in Crimea". Ukrayinska Pravda. 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Draft law of FMS and the Ministry of Economy of granting citizenship". RIA News. 27 February 2014.
- ^ a b "MID of Russia made another statement on Ukraine: militants, NATO, provocations". Ukrayinska Pravda. 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Tensions high at Kiev protest camp despite ground-breaking deal". CTV News. 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
- ^ "Russia has suspended negotiations with Ukraine on the project of Kerch bridge". Ukrinform. 28 February 2014.
- ^ Медведев распорядился создать компанию для строительства моста через керченский пролив. Dozhd (in Russian). Russia: TV Rain. 3 March 2014.
- ^ The Moscow Times. 4 March 2014
- ^ "In Russia there are gathering "tourists" to Ukraine who served in the military". Ukrayinska Pravda. 28 February 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine crisis live: Russia admits its troops are moving in Crimea". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ "Russian Foreign Ministry called the Ukrainian revolution "brown"". Lenta. RU. 19 February 2014.
- ^ "Russian Foreign Ministry: In Ukraine the "brown" revolution, we will apply all the influence". Ukrayinska Pravda. UA. 19 February 2014.
- ^ Council of the Federation: Russia may introduce troops into Crimea. Ukrainska Pravda. 1 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Vladimir Putin sees small protests, mass support for troops in Ukraine (+video)". The Christian Science Monitor. 2 March 2014.
- ^ "In Russia were detained activists who protested against the war with Ukraine". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 1 March 2014.
- ^ "На антивоенных акциях в Москве задержаны 300 человек (Na antivoyennykh aktsiyakh v Moskve zaderzhany 300 chelovek)" [At the anti-war actions in Moscow detained 300 people] (in Russian). RU: Utro. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ "В Москве и Перебурге проходят митинги против российской оккупации Крыма. Уже есть задержанные (V Moskve i Peterburge prokhodyat mitingi protiv rossiyskoy okkupatsii Kryma. Uzhe yest' zaderzhannyye)" [In Moscow and St. Petersburg rallies against the Russian occupation of the Crimea. Already have detained] (in Russian). Центр журналистских расследований (Tsentr zhurnalistskikh rassledovaniy) [Center for Investigative Journalism]. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ "Жители Екатеринбурга провели пикеты против ввода российских войск в Крым (Zhiteli Yekaterinburga proveli pikety protiv vvoda rossiyskikh voysk v Krym)" [Inhabitants of Ekaterinburg picketed against Russian troops in the Crimea]. Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian). RU. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ ""Сколько детей ты готов похоронить, чтобы Крым стал частью России?" Первые антивоенные пикеты прошли на Урале ("Skol'ko detey ty gotov pokhoronit', chtoby Krym stal chast'yu Rossii?" Pervyye antivoyennyye pikety proshli na Urale)" ["How many children are you willing to bury to Crimea became part of Russia?" First anti-war pickets were held in the Urals] (in Russian). RU: Ura. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ "Не стреляй! Шевчук, Гребенщиков, Макаревич. Антивоенная риторика (Ne strelyay! Shevchuk, Grebenshchikov, Makarevich. Antivoyennaya ritorika)" [Do not shoot! Shevchuk, Grebenshikov Makarevich. antiwar rhetoric]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- ^ Bershidsky, Leonid (25 March 2014). "Comparing Putin to Hitler Will Get You Fired". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Ukraine crisis: Russians opposed to Putin". BBC News Magazine. 12 March 2014.
- ^ "Putin defends Ukraine stance, cites lawlessness". The Washington Post. 4 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Putin's move on Crimea bolsters popularity back home". USA Today. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Putin shares the view that if in Ukraine "revolution" – then on its territory is a new state". Mirror Weekly. 4 March 2014.
- ^ "Russia claims thousands fleeing Ukraine". Nine MSN. AU. 2 March 2014.
- ^ "мзс україні спростувало зростання кількості бігентсив до росії (MZS Ukrayini sprostuvalo zrostannya kil'kosti bihent·syv do rosiyi)" [Ukraine Foreign Ministry refuted the growing number of refugees in Russia]. Ukrinform. 4 March 2014.
- ^ "мзс путін продовґуе дезінформувати весь світ заради виправдання своїх дії (MZS Putin prodovgue dezinformuvaty ves' svit zarady vypravdannya svoyikh diyi)" [Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Putin continues to mislead the whole world for justification of own actions]. UA. Ukrinform. 4 March 2014.
- ^ Abby Martin: Russia Today supports me. CNN. 5 March 2014.
- ^ Kirchick, James (5 March 2014). "Exclusive: RT Anchor Liz Wahl Explains Why She Quit". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ Anna Dolgov (7 March 2014). "Leningrad Blockade Survivor Arrested, Fined For Anti-War Protest". The Moscow Times.
- ^ "Khodorkovsky: Crimea should stay within Ukraine with broad autonomous status". Interfax. 10 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Crimea crisis: The Tatarstan factor". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ "Crimean Tatar Leader Calls For UN Peacekeeping Troops". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ Patrick Goodenough (16 March 2014). "Crimea Vote: Putin Cites Kosovo 'Precedent'". CNS News. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ Huw Griffith; Anna Malpas (15 March 2014). "50,000 rally in Moscow against Crimea intervention". Yahoo News. AFP. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014.
- ^ Andrey Lispky (25 February 2015). «Представляется правильным инициировать присоединение восточных областей Украины к России» ["It seems right to initiate the accession of eastern regions of Ukraine to Russia"]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian) (19). Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ Matthew Schofield (21 February 2015). "Russian news report: Putin approved Ukraine invasion before Kiev government collapsed". McClatchy DC. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ "Report to Allege Direct Kremlin Link to Ukraine Invasion". Voice of America. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "World War 3: Vladimir Putin Plotted Ukraine Invasion Early As February 2014, New Report Says". Inquisitr.com. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ Mikhail Sokolov (12 June 2015). Михаил Касьянов: "Все решения по Крыму незаконны" [Mikhail Kasyanov: "All decisions about Crimea are unlawful"] (in Russian). Radio Svoboda. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ CHARBONNEAU AND DONATH, MIRJAM AND LOUIS (27 March 2014). "U.N. General Assembly declares Crimea secession vote invalid". Reuters.
- ^ "Russia sanctions 9 US officials in response to US sanctions on Russian officials". CNBC. 20 March 2014.
- ^ "Executive Order 13660 – Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine" (Press release). White House Office of the Press Secretary. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ "EU Slaps Initial Sanctions on Russia". ABC News. Associated Press. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- ^ "Sanctions threat grows as Ukraine tensions rise". Mainichi Shimbun. Japan. 4 March 2014.[dead link]
- ^ "Japan imposes sanctions against Russia over Crimea independence". Fox News Channel. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ "Position of the United Kindown about the Crimean referendum". Bloomberg. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ Baker, Luke. "EU to offer 500 million euros of trade benefits to Ukraine". Reuters. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine: MEPs call for firm action on Russia to prevent further escalation". European Parliament. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "Lawmakers call for suspension of Russia from G8, swift action against Putin". Political ticker (World Wide Web log). CNN. 2 March 2014.
- ^ "Russia G8 status at risk over 'incredible act of aggression' in Crimea, says Kerry". The Guardian. UK. 2 March 2014.
- ^ "North Atlantic Council statement on the situation in Ukraine". Nato.int. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ "PACE: News". Assembly.coe.int. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ "Statement of the Prime Ministers of the Visegrád Countries on Ukraine" (Press release). Hungary: Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014.
- ^ FlorCruz, Jaime (6 March 2014). "Russia may find ally in China – albeit a passive one for now". CNN. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ Economy, Elizabeth (6 March 2014). "China's Soft 'Nyet' To Russia's Ukraine Intervention". Forbes. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "Russia has legitimate interests in Ukraine: Shivshankar Menon, NSA". The Economic Times. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- ^ "However, when questioned, national security adviser Shivshankar Menon said ..." (source)
- ^ "India not to support western sanctions against Russia". The Times of India. 19 March 2014.
- ^ "Syria's Assad expresses support to Putin on Ukraine". euronews. 18 May 2013.
- ^ "Putin on Ukraine Supported by China-Syria-Venezuela Minority". Bloomberg News. 12 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ "Sri Lanka regrets removal of Ukrainian president". Business Standard. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Russia risks political and economic damage over Ukraine, says Merkel". The Guardian. 13 March 2014. Archived from the original on 11 April 2014.
- ^ Bryant, Chris (27 March 2014). "German business concerns grow over Russia ties". Financial Times. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
German entities have invested roughly €20bn in Russia and some 6,200 companies – mostly small and medium-sized Mittelstand businesses – are active there. Last year trade between the two countries totalled more than €76bn. ... Russia supplies 35 per cent of German gas and 30 per cent of its oil.
- ^ a b c Freeman, Colin (24 March 2014). "Russian troops poised to 'run' into Moldova, Nato commander warns". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ Rfe/Rl (10 April 2014). "PACE Deprives Russia of Voting Rights". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
- ^ "Putin talks of peace in annexed Crimea". ABC AU. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ^ "Russia vetoes U.N. resolution on Crimea's future". USA Today. Associated Press. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "General Assembly Adopts Resolution Calling upon States Not to Recognize Changes in Status of Crimea Region". United Nations. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine: UN condemns Crimea vote as IMF and US back loans". BBC News. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "Afghan president Hamid Karzai backs Russia's annexation of Crimea". The Guardian. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
"Visiting Russia, Fidel Castro's Son Scoffs at U.S. Sanctions Over Crimea". The Moscow Times.
"Kyrgyzstan Says Crimea Referendum 'Legitimate'". Radio Liberty. Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
"Nicaragua recognizes Crimea as part of Russia". Kyiv Post. 27 March 2014.
"В КНДР издали атлас мира, где Крым находится в составе России:Как пояснили посольству РФ в МИД республики, Пхеньян "уважает результаты состоявшегося в Крыму референдума о вхождении полуострова в состав Российской Федерации"". TASS. 12 October 2017. - ^ President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko answers questions of mass media representatives on 23 March 2014. president.gov.by. 23 March 2014.
- ^ "Transnistria wants to merge with Russia". Vestnik Kavkaza. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ^ "Moldova's Trans-Dniester region pleads to join Russia". BBC. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ^ "Dniester public organizations ask Russia to consider possibility of Transnistria accession". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ^ Gianluca Mezzofiore (16 April 2014). "Transnistria Urges Kremlin and UN to Recognise Independence". International Business Times. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ^ "Peskov: Putin aware of Transnistria's request on independence recognition". Kyiv Post. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ^ "Yet another Italian region votes to recognize Russian Crimea".
- ^ Rakteem Katakey (25 March 2014). "Russian Oil Seen Heading East Not West in Crimea Spat". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "Ukraine-related Designations: Specially Designated Nationals List Update". US Department of the Treasury. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN)". US Department of the Treasury. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Treasury Sanctions Russian Officials, Members of the Russian Leadership's Inner Circle, And An Entity For Involvement in the Situation in Ukraine". United States Treasury Department. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ Peter Shuklinov (21 March 2014). Ближний круг Путина: кто попал в новый список санкций США [Putin's inner circle: who's in the new list of US sanctions] (in Russian). liga.net. Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ "Japan imposes sanctions against Russia over Crimea independence". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b "All Russian MPs volunteer to be subject to US, EU sanctions". 2014-03-18. Archived from the original on 24 November 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ Patrick Jenkins; Daniel Schäfer; Courtney Weaver; Jack Farchy (14 March 2014). "Russian companies withdraw billions from west, say Moscow bankers". Financial Times. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ^ "Sanctions tit-for-tat: Moscow strikes back against US officials". RT. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ a b c Wesley Lowery; Ed O'Keefe (20 March 2014). "Reacting to sanctions, Russians ban Reid, Boehner and four other lawmakers". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Darryl Isherwood (20 March 2014). "Bob Menendez is banned from Russia". NJ. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ David Weigel (20 March 2014). "Senators Celebrate Being Sanctioned by Russia". Slate. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b Steven Chase (24 March 2014). "Russia imposes sanctions on 13 Canadians, including MPs". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Susana Mas (24 March 2014). "Russian sanctions against Canadians a 'badge of honour'". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Anna Mulrine (4 March 2014). "Punish Russia? Why some Pentagon officials would prefer restraint". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Neil Buckley (21 March 2014). "Putin feels the heat as sanctions target president's inner circle". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ Ian Traynor (22 March 2014). "European Union prepares for trade war with Russia over Crimea". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b Olga Tanas (21 March 2014). "Russia's Credit Outlook Cut as U.S., EU Widen Sanction Lists". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Andra Timu; Henry Meyer; Olga Tanas (23 March 2014). "Russia Staring at Recession on Sanctions That Could Get Tougher". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014.
- ^ Kathrin Hille; Richard McGregor (24 March 2014). "Russia braced for $70bn in outflows". Financial Times. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ Courtney Weaver; Jack Farchy (25 March 2014). "Funds cut Russian holdings after sanctions". Financial Times. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
Deputy economy minister Andrei Klepach estimates that Russian capital outflows will total up to $70bn in the first quarter, more than the $63bn that left the country during the whole of 2013.
- ^ Jack Farchy; Martin Arnold (18 April 2014). "Banks retreat from Moscow deals". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
- ^ Jack Farchy; Kathrin Hille; Courtney Weaver (21 March 2014). "Russian executives quake as US sanctions rattle markets". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ Halia Pavliva (23 March 2014). "EU's Muted Crimea Response Triggers Russian Stock Rebound". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ Eric Matzen; Michelle Martin (21 March 2014). "Russian sanctions ripple through corporate boardrooms". Reuters. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ Kathrin Hille (21 March 2014). "Putin boosted by defiant tone at top and among people". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ Paul Sonne; Sarah Kent (21 March 2014). "Russia Sends Mixed Signals in Response to U.S. Sanctions". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ^ Olga Mishchenko (28 June 2014). Минэкономразвития РФ опасается негативного влияния западных санкций [Ministry for Economic Development of the Russian Federation fears the negative impact of Western sanctions] (in Russian). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ John Fraher (18 April 2014). "Energy Needs Curb Eastern EU Hunger for Russian Sanctions". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Maria Bondarenko (22 June 2015). Правозащитники рассказали об отказах в выдаче виз после поездок в Крым [Human rights activists have reported visa denials after trips to Crimea] (in Russian). rbc.ru. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ Роскомнадзор распорядился заблокировать сайт Общества защиты прав потребителей [Roskomnadzor ordered the blocking of the Consumer Rights Protection Society site] (in Russian). tvrain.ru. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ Editorial, Reuters. "Russia suspends payments to Council of Europe over Crimea row". U.K. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ "Ukraine 'Extremely Concerned' Council Of Europe Caving To Russian 'Blackmail'". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ Buckley, Neil (26 November 2017). "Russia tests Council of Europe in push to regain vote". Financial Times.
- ^ "Map of Ukraine" (PDF). United Nations. March 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "Statement Regarding the Mapping of Crimea". National Geographic Society. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Крым на картах мира: ситуация поменялась [Crimea on maps of the world: the situation has changed]. hi-tech.mail.ru (in Russian). 11 April 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Google сделала Крым российским на картах для рунета [Google has made Crimea Russian on maps for Runet] (in Russian). lenta.ru. 11 April 2014.
- ^ J. Kyle O'Donnell; Julie Johnsson (22 March 2014). "Russian Cartographers Add Crimea to Maps Amid Sanctions". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ Daniil Aleksandrov (22 March 2014). "Яндекс" показывает разные карты в России и на Украине ["Yandex" displays different maps in Russia and in Ukraine] (in Russian). slon.ru. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "Parliament challenges mapmakers to mark Crimea Russian territory". en.itar-tass.com. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "Statement by the DWG on edit conflicts in Crimea". OpenStreetMap Foundation. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
In the short-term Crimea shall remain in both the Ukraine and Russia administrative relations, and be indicated as disputed. We recognize that being in two administrative relations is not a good long-term solution, although the region is likely to be indicated as disputed for some time.
- ^ "Ukraine investigates Coca Cola and Pepsi". Fortune. 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Ukraine's France ambassador slams atlas for placing Crimea in Russia". news.yahoo.com. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ "Larousse official Internet website". Larousse. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Official position of Larousse on Crimea". 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ L’attivismo militare della Russia nel 2015, Limes (magazine)
- ^ Perché Limes rappresenta la Crimea sotto la sovranità della Russia, Limes (magazine)
- ^ Christian Streib (20 March 2015). "Back in the USSR? Spying and control in the new Crimea". CNN. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ Berman, Ilan (8 September 2015). "Paradise Lost in Crimea: How Russia Is Paying for the Annexation". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
- ^ "Crimea Rice Crop Fails Over Water War With Ukraine". The Moscow Times. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
Further reading[edit]
- Pynnöniemi, Katri; Rácz, András, eds. (2016). Fog of Falsehood: Russian Strategy of Deception and the Conflict in Ukraine. FIIA Report, 45. Helsinki: Finnish Institute of International Affairs. ISBN 978-951-769-485-8. ISSN 2323-5454. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
External links[edit]
- A treaty of accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. Unofficial English translation with commentary
- Russia & Me: Former Post-Soviet Leaders' Views On Crimea's Annexation (video 11:21), REF/RL, 26 February 2016 (in Russian, subtitles in English)
- Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
- History of Crimea
- 2014 in Russia
- 2014 in Ukraine
- 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
- Conflicts in 2014
- Conflicts in Ukraine
- Politics of Crimea
- Territorial evolution of Russia
- Territorial disputes of Russia
- Territorial disputes of Ukraine
- 21st-century military history of Russia
- Military history of Ukraine
- Modern history of Ukraine
- Political scandals in Ukraine
- Riots and civil disorder in Ukraine
- Russia–Ukraine relations
- Russian irredentism
- Russian nationalism in Ukraine
- Russian–Ukrainian wars
- Separatism in Ukraine
- Annexation
- Treaties concluded in 2014
- Treaties entered into force in 2014
- Treaties of Russia
- Anti-Ukrainian sentiment
- February 2014 events in Europe
- March 2014 events in Europe
- Military operations involving Russia
