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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 83.70.227.237 (talk) at 22:15, 20 March 2014 (→Revolution in Kiev: Minor correction.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This redirect is about the secession crisis in Crimea. For the Russian military intervention there, see 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. For pro-Russian protests in Ukraine outside of Crimea, see 2014 pro-Russian protests in Ukraine.

The Crimean crisis is an ongoing international crisis involving Russia and Ukraine. Most developments apply to the Crimean peninsula, formerly a multiethnic region of the Ukraine comprised of the (now defunct) Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the administratively separate municipality of Sevastopol; both are populated by an ethnic Russian majority and a minority of both ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. The demographics of Crimea have undergone dramatic changes in the past centuries.[a][b][c][4]

The crisis unfolded in late February 2014 in the aftermath of the Ukrainian revolution, when—after months of protests by Euromaidan and days of violent clashes between protesters and police in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev—the Ukrainian parliament held a vote to impeach the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych.[5][6] However the vote failed to reach the three-fourths majority required to impeach a President according to the Constitution of Ukraine.[7][8] Russian President Vladimir Putin said President Yanukovych was illegally impeached and that he regards him as Ukraine’s legitimate president.[9][d] This was followed by the interim appointment of the Yatsenyuk Government as well as the appointment of a new Acting President of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, were seen by Russia as "self-proclaimed" in a "coup d'etat".[9][e][f][g]

Beginning on 26 February, pro-Russian forces gradually took control of the Crimean peninsula. Russia claimed that the uniformed men were local self-defense forces, but they are widely believed to be Russian military personnel without insignia.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Several days later, on March 11, after disagreements between Crimea, Sevastopol, and the newly appointed interim government in Ukraine, the Crimean parliament and the city council of Sevastopol adopted a resolution to show their intention to unilaterally declare themselves independent as a single united nation with the possibility of joining the Russian Federation as a federal subject—should voters approve to do so in an upcoming referendum.

On March 16, officials said that nearly 97% of voters in Crimea supported joining Russia.[22] Election officials said the turnout was a record high,[23] although many Tatars and opponents of the referendum were reported to have boycotted the vote.[24] On March 17, the Crimean parliament officially declared its independence from Ukraine and requested to join the Russian Federation.[25]

The Ukrainian parliament has stated that the referendum is unconstitutional.[26] Russia declared that its troops would stay until the political situation has been normalized while recognizing both the recently appointed government of Crimea and mayor of Sevastopol, as well as the referendum and its possible outcome.[15] The United States and the European Union said they consider the vote to be "illegal", and warned that there may be repercussions for the Crimean ballot.[27]

Background

See also: History of Crimea, Deportation of the Crimean Tatars, Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, and 2010 Kharkiv Pact
Map of the Crimean peninsula. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is colored yellow while Sevastopol is colored red.
Distribution of ethnicities in the Crimean peninsula according to the local 2001 census. Ethnic Russians comprise a majority at 58%.[28]

The Crimean Khanate, a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, was conquered by the Russian Empire in 1783.[29] Following its incorporation into the Russian Empire, Crimea became the "heart of Russian Romanticism" and the region continued to attract vacationers well after the Russian Empire was replaced by the Soviet Union.[30] Crimea had autonomy within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic as the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic from 1921 until 1945, when Joseph Stalin deported the Crimean Tatars, and abolished Crimean autonomy.[31] In 1954, the Soviet Union under Nikita Khrushchev, who was himself half-Ukrainian[32] transferred the Crimean Oblast from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR, in a "symbolic gesture" that seemed insignificant at the time, since both republics were a part of the Soviet Union.[33][34][35] Crimea's pre-1945 autonomy was re-established with the Crimean sovereignty referendum in 1991, the final year of the Soviet Union's existence.[36]

The Autonomous Republic of Crimea has been part of an independent Ukraine since 1991, when the former constituent Republics of the Soviet Union became independent states. In 1992, the Crimean Parliament voted to hold a referendum to declare independence, while the Russian Parliament voted to void the cession of Crimea to Ukraine.[37][38] In 1994, Russian nationalist Yuri Meshkov won the 1994 Crimean presidential election and organized a referendum on Crimea's status.[39][40] Later in that same year, Crimea's legal status as part of Ukraine was recognized by Russia, which pledged to uphold the territorial integrity of Ukraine in the Budapest memorandum signed in 1994. This treaty (or "executive agreement" for purposes of US law), was also signed by the United States, United Kingdom, and France.[41][42] Ukraine revoked the Crimean constitution and abolished the office of Crimean President in 1995.[43] Crimea would gain a new constitution in 1998 that granted the Crimean parliament lesser powers than the previous constitution, including no legislative initiative.[36][44] Crimean officials would later seek to restore the powers of the previous constitution.[44]

The further developments in Crimea and the future of Russian naval bases there have been a point of contention in Russian-Ukrainian relations.[41] Under the now defunct Russian-Ukrainian Partition Treaty determining the fate of the military bases and vessels in Crimea – signed in 1997 and prolonged in 2010 - Russia was allowed to have up to 25,000 troops, 24 artillery systems (with a caliber smaller than 100 mm), 132 armored vehicles, and 22 military planes, on the Crimean peninsula. The Russian Black Sea fleet was given basing rights in Crimea until 2042. Moscow annually wrote off $97.75 million of Kiev’s debt in return for the right to use Ukrainian waters and radio frequencies, and to compensate for the Black Sea Fleet’s environmental impact.[45]

According to the 2001 census, ethnic Russians make up about 58% of the two million residents of Crimea. In Sevastopol, which houses a base for the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet, ethnic Russians make up 70% of the city's population of 340,000.[46] Ukrainians make up 24% of the Crimean population, while 12% are Crimean Tatars.[31][46] Ethnic Russians did not become the largest population group in Crimea until the 20th century,[citation needed] after Soviet leader Joseph Stalin ordered the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 for alleged collaboration with Nazi invaders in World War Two.[47][48] Crimean Tatars were not permitted to return to Crimea after their deportation in 1944, and became an international cause célèbre,[49] until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The continuing return of Crimean Tatars to their homeland in Crimea since the Soviet collapse has caused persistent tensions with the Russian population of the peninsula.[50] A news report claimed pro-Russian forces marking "X" on the doors of houses of Crimean Tatars.[51] The leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov protested against the intervention of Russia.[52]

In the 2010 local parliamentary elections, the Party of Regions received 357,030 votes, while the second-placed Ukrainian Communist Party received 54,172 votes.[53] Both parties were targeted by protesters during the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.[54][55][56]

According to the International Centre for Defense Studies, since the Orange Revolution in 2004, Russia has pressured Ukraine for its preferences to associate itself with the West.[57] It has been stated that the information campaign in Crimea has become especially proficient and systematic, becoming particularly intense during the 2006–08 Ukraine bid for NATO membership. Each of Ukraines' attempts to achieve European integration has led to increased Russian hostility to the idea via its use of information campaign.[57][58] Russia opposes Ukrainian integration with the West for various reasons, including a fear of NATO expanding to Russia's Western borders[59] and Russia's claimed desire to include Ukraine in an Eurasian Union.[60]

According to Taras Kuzio, during the Viktor Yushchenko presidency (2005–2010), Russia's relations with Ukraine deteriorated, prompting the Russian security service (FSB) and Russian military intelligence (GRU) to expand their covert support for pro-Russian forces in Southern Ukraine and Russian separatists in Crimea.[61] Following the Orange Revolution and the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, American diplomatic cables leaked to the public noted that Russian military action against Ukraine was "no longer unthinkable."[62]

Revolution in Kiev

Main articles: Euromaidan and 2014 Ukrainian revolution

Towards the end of 2013, Euromaidan protests began after President Viktor Yanukovych postponed the signing of Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement under severe economic pressure from Russia, even though previously he had been eager to sign it and stated it on multiple occasions [63]. Instead, Yanukovych struck a deal with Putin which meant, among other things, that Russia would buy $15 billion in Ukrainian bonds, and discount gas prices to Ukraine by one-third.[64]. Opposition leaders were suspicious of the true cost to Ukraine for Russian support[65] [66].

The protests escalated in early 2014 and eventually led to deaths of both protesters and police between 18 and 20 February. At least 88 people were killed,[67] including at least seven police.[68] According to most reports in Ukraine, violence was used mostly by the police[69]. Numerous snipers, whose identity is still disputed, killed tens of protesters[70]. President Yanukovych and the opposition leaders signed a compromise deal on February 21 that was brokered by the foreign ministers of France, Poland and Germany,[71] [72]but it soon became redundant as Yanukovych left the capital, government forces withdrew, and protesters took control of the city without resistance.[68] According to the deal, the Verkhovna Rada was obliged to adopt a bill about the constitutional reform and Yanukovych was obliged to sign it within 48 hours[73]. The bill was adopted, but Yanukovych didn't sign it[74]. On 21 February Yanukovych fled Kiev. Evidence shows that Yanukovych had started to prepare his leave on February 19, removing goods and riches. The guards of Yanukovych's residence opened it to the protesters. The protesters found vast evidence of Yanukovych's unprecedented corruption in his residence[75][76]. The Rada impeached Yanukovych, but not according to the constitutional procedure. Even though the decision was not constitutional, it was supported by the vast majority in the Ukrainian parliament[77]. According to the opposition leaders, they had no other choice, because, as they see it, Yanukovych had usurped power, including the courts, and disregarded and violated the Constitution and other laws many times [78]. Members of the opposition appointed Oleksandr Turchinov as the new speaker of Verkhovna Rada and also appointed him as the interim President. The Rada set May 25 for a new presidential election [79]. A new Council of Ministers was elected on February 27[80]. Russia refused to recognize the new authorities in Kiev, saying that they had come to power through armed insurrection by extreme-right political forces and unconstitutional methods. The United States and European Union [clarification needed] immediately[when?] recognized the government in Kiev [81][82][83][84].

Some residents of the eastern and southern parts of the country, which are primarily Russian-speaking and constitute President Yanukovych's support base, felt disenfranchised by these developments and protested against the government in Kiev.[85] The Parliament of Crimea called for an extraordinary session on 21 February. The leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov stated that he suspected that the session might ask for Russian military intervention.[86]

On February 21, 2014, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) issued a statement which promised that "it will use severe measures to prevent any action taken against diminishing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine."[h] The same day the pro-Russian Party of Regions who held 80 of the 100 seats in the Crimean Parliament,[88] did not discuss issues relating to the separation of Crimea from Ukraine and appeared to support the deal struck between President Yanukovich and the opposition to end the crises signed the same day.[89]

On February 23, 2014, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a bill to repeal the law on minority languages, which—if signed by the Ukrainian President—would have established Ukrainian as the sole official state language of all Ukraine, including Crimea which is populated by a Russian-speaking majority.[90] The Christian Science Monitor reported: "The [adoption of this bill] only served to infuriate Russian-speaking regions, [who] saw the move as more evidence that the antigovernment protests in Kiev that toppled Yanukovich's government were intent on pressing for a nationalistic agenda."[91] A few days later, on March 1, 2014, the acting President of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, vetoed the bill effectively stopping its enactment.[92] However on March 11 the newly installed Ukrainian authorities demanded that Russian language TV and Radio channels be shut down, a move that the OSCE slammed as repressive censorship.[93]

The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group and the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union have both denied any human rights violations against Russian speakers in Ukraine that would justify Russia's actions.[94][95]

Circumstances

The Russian-Ukrainian Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet[i] signed in 1997 and prolonged in 2010, determined the status of the military bases and vessels in Crimea prior to the current crisis. Russia was allowed to maintain up to 25,000 troops, 24 artillery systems (with a caliber smaller than 100 mm), 132 armored vehicles, and 22 military planes, on the Crimean and Sevastopol. The Russian Black Sea fleet had basing rights in Crimea until 2042. However it is controversial if the recent troop movements were covered by the treaty.[97] The point may be moot in light of current events, however.

Timeline of the events

Main article: Timeline of the 2014 Crimean crisis

Ukrainian victims of kidnapping

On March 18, 2014 there were reports of at least 14 people kidnapped, the fates of whom are not known.[98] On March 19, 2014 the acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov issued an ultimatum to the Crimean authorities to release all the hostages.[99] The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation General of the Army Sergei Shoigu asked the Crimean authorities to release the Ukrainian Navy commander Rear Admiral Serhiy Haiduk.[100] All accounted hostages were released on March 20, 2014.[101] One of the hostages had their legs shot through.[102] Among others there are the following people:

Released

  • Colonel Ihor Losnikov (Foreign Intelligence Service) - kidnapped and later was let go.[98]
  • Colonel Andriy Andriushyn - kidnapped on March 18, 2014 and is being forced to defect (released March 20)[98]
  • Andriy Shchekun (leader of the Ukrainian community in Crimea) - kidnapped on March 4, 2014 (released March 20)[98]
  • Anatoliy Kovalsky (leader of the Ukrainian community in Crimea) - kidnapped on March 4, 2014 (released March 20)[98]
  • Oleksiy Hrytsenko (leader of the Automaidan) - taken hostage (released March 20)[98]
  • Yaroslav Pylunsky (known cameraman and film director) - kidnapped (released March 20)[98]
  • Walid Abu Yusuf (Sergei Selentsov) - kidnapped (released March 20)[98]
  • Rear Admiral Serhiy Haiduk (Ukrainian Navy commander) - kidnapped after the raid of the Navy headquarters on March 19, 2014 (released March 20)[100]

Known perished hostages

  • Reshat Ametov (38 years old) - kidnapped by the Crimean self-defense, later was found dead with signs of torture.[98]

Other (non-Russian) involvement

On March 2, 2014, Pavel Chernev, former member of the nationalist Attack party and current political secretary of "Orthodox Dawn" (Bulgarian: Православна Зора, Pravoslavna Zora) who is known for his pro-Putin views, revealed that the Bulgarian branch of the organization will be sending a group of Bulgarian volunteers to "protect ethnic Russians and ethnic Bulgarians from forceful Ukrainization". Chernev also claimed that they had already sponsored "tens of Orthodox fighters" (non-Bulgarian) to fly to Moscow and Crimea.[103][104] Simeon Kostadinov, another former Attack member, currently representing the Nationalist Party in Bulgaria, and Chernev clarified that their mission has peaceful intentions, but will be prepared to give a good account of themselves in the unfortunate event of an escalation. Their contention is that the old regime was preferable from the standpoint of the Bulgarian minority in Ukraine and the new authorities lack legitimacy. Another small "international group based on the Pyrenean Peninsula" which includes some Bulgarians and is supported by a Russian paramilitary organization was reported to have left for Ukraine on 3 March. "Orthodox Dawn" have displayed an interest in securing the backing of international actors for the 2014 referendum in Crimea and will try to recruit foreign election observers.[105] According to Bulgarian sources, drawing on reports made by Al Jazeera, 20 Bulgarian nationals are presently in Crimea. They are part of the paramilitary formation Dobrovolets/Доброволец, which is under the control of Russian troops. Dobrovolets' area of operations also intends to include Odessa and Donetsk. Chernev stated that he will be visiting Crimea on March 15 and guarantees that all the participants in the mission have undergone thorough screening to ensure that people with criminal convictions are weeded out.[106] Anton Kisse, the only deputy in the Verkhovna Rada with Bulgarian roots, while acknowledging the pro-Russian sentiments among the majority of Bulgarians, Moldovans, Gagauz and Albanians inhabiting Bessarabia, has spoken out against any foreign interventions stating that "even the friendliest foreign state has no right to impose its vision of what constitutes proper order on Ukraine" and that "people will turn to Bulgaria if the need arises".[107] Chernev was one of the election observers for the 2014 referendum in Crimea,[108] on the invitation of Sergey Aksyonov.[109]

A very small group of Chetniks, a Serbian nationalist paramilitary force, have travelled to Crimea to support Russia. Serbian and Russian nationalists share Slavic and Orthodox culture and anti-Western sentiment, and Chetniks claim to be in Russia's favour for support during the Yugoslav Wars.[110] The Chetniks are based in an Orthodox monastery. Their commanders Bratislav Jivković and Milutin Malisić have participated in previous armed conflicts - Jivković in the Bosnian War as part of the Serb Volunteer Guard while Malisić has been involved in the protection of the Serbian minority in Kosovo in the aftermath of the Kosovo War. Malisić has reiterated that his paramilitary formation is committed to peace and does not want to shed the blood of fellow Slavs, viewing Ukrainians and Russians as brotherly ethnicities.[109]

Economic consequences

As a result of the crisis, the two leading indexes of the Moscow Exchange fell in trading on March 3, 2014: the MICEX 10 declined 10.79 percent, equating to a loss in market capitalization of nearly $60 billion, and the RTS Index declined 12.01 percent to its lowest level since September 2009.[111] The next day, though, the MICEX rose 5.25%, recovering part of the losses. In response to this and the decline of the ruble, the Central Bank of Russia raised its interest rate from 5.5 to 7.0% and spent up to US$12 billion in reserves to bolster the currency.[112] The possibility for international sanctions against Russia has also been raised.[113]

There are worries that Russian gas exports into Europe and Ukraine may become disrupted by the current conflict. Thirty percent of Europe's gas is imported from Russia, half of which flows through Ukrainian pipelines. On 1 March Russian Energy Ministry decided to halt the subsidies of Russian gas for Ukraine.[114] The crisis could also affect worldwide grain supplies. Prices will likely rise because Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of wheat and grain.[113]

Sports events

The game of the 21st round of the 2013-14 Ukrainian Premier League on March 15, 2014 between SC Tavriya Simferopol and FC Dynamo Kyiv was forced to take place in Kiev at NSC Olimpiysky instead of the Lokomotiv RSC in Simferopol.[115]

Local responses

Part of a series on the
2014 annexation of Crimea
Map of Crimea
Main topics
Background
Ukraine Autonomous Republic of Crimea Russia

Ukraine

Share of Ukrainian citizens who think that Ukraine should unite with Russia in one country, by region, February 2014

Three ex‐presidents of Ukraine accused Russia of interfering in Crimean affairs.[116] Interim president Oleksandr Turchynov at the start of the protests warned that there is a "serious risk" of separatism in parts of the country.[117][118] On February 27, 2014, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine claimed that regional referendum is impossible due to lack of necessary legislative basis for such.[119] On February 27, 2014, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov was instructed to develop a new law "about language".[120] On 28 February a freelance journalist wrote on Twitter that President Yanukovych said that any military actions are unacceptable and he will not ask Russia for it.[121] According to President Yanukovych he believed that Crimea must remain part of Ukraine.[122][123]

The new Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated in his maiden speech on 27 February that "Ukraine will use all legal constitutional methods to preserve the territorial integrity of the state. Crimea was, is and will be a part of Ukraine!".[124]

On February 27, 2014, the MFA of Ukraine, in response to the MID statement, stated that the responsibility for non-compliance with the agreement on settlement of the crisis lies on President Viktor Yanukovych.[125] "In Ukraine, the importance of the crisis settlement Agreement, signed on 21 February 2014 by the lawful President of Ukraine and opposition leaders, and witnessed by officials of Germany, France and Poland, is honoured.[125] In this regard, we express disappointment that the representative of the Russian Federation, who also participated in the negotiation and drafting of the document, refused to testify this Agreement.[125] It is possible that it was that factor that become at the end one of the reasons for the rejection by the lawfully elected President of Ukraine to fulfill arrangements of the Agreement aimed at stabilizing the domestic life in the country," – said in the document.[125]

On February 28, 2014, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution on events in Crimea:[126] "Verkhovna Rada demands from the Russian Federation to stop steps that have signs of encroachment on state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including to refuse supporting separatism in Ukraine in any form".[126][127]

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov dismissed Yuriy Ilyin as the Chief of the General Staff. During the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution Ilyin was reportedly preparing a military operation against the protest movement in Kiev. Ilyin reportedly had a heart attack after meeting with the newly appointed mayor of Sevastopol.[128]

Due to the events in Crimea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine initiated bilateral consultations with Russia and indicated its readiness to initiate consultations within the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances framework if it receives no response.[129]

The General Prosecutor office intended to raise the issue of the extradition of Viktor Yanukovych, who was confirmed to be in Russia.[130] On 28 February, foreign observers speculated that Russia could extradite Yanukovych to the proper authorities only in exchange for Ukrainian non-intervention in Crimea.[citation needed] On 28 February the General Prosecutor of Ukraine Oleh Makhnitsky formally asked Russia to extradite Yanukovych.[131]

On 28 February Dmytro Yarosh, the leader of the Right Sector, denounced reports of Right Sector putting together armed units to be sent to Crimea; "Right Sector hopes that a way out of this difficult situation will be found exclusively in the political field, without using forcible methods. Right Sector believes that all parties and non-governmental organizations of Ukraine should forget strife and unite when it comes to the preservation of Ukraine's integrity. We should help politicians in settling this conflict peacefully".[132] On 1 March initial reports said that Dmytro Yarosh asked Dokka Umarov, a Chechen militant associated with al-Qaeda, for support of Ukraine;[133] but later it was announced that this was a fake statement from his hacked account.[134]

On March 1, 2014, the acting president of Ukraine signed an edict in which he pointed out that appointment of Sergey Aksyonov as the Chairman of the Councils of Ministers of Crimea was in violation of the Constitution of Ukraine and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.[135] The incumbent and two former presidents of Ukraine – Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko—called on Ukraine to renounce the Kharkiv Agreements.[136] Leonid Kuchma's press-center later denounced such a statement on behalf of Leonid Kuchma.[137] The acting President of Ukraine purportedly ordered the Armed Forces of Ukraine to full combat readiness.[138] The Oblast council of Luhansk Oblast voted to demand giving Russian language the status of second official language, stopping ″persecution of Berkut fighters″, disarming Maidan self-defense units and banning a number of far-right political organizations like Svoboda and UNA-UNSO. In the case of the authorities failing to comply with the demands, the Oblast council reserved itself the ″right to ask for help from the brotherly people of the Russian Federation.″[139]

The General Prosecutor of Ukraine filed new charges against the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, accusing him, among other charges, of calls to overthrow the constitutional order in Ukraine.[140]

On March 4, 2014 the district administration court of Kiev cancelled the decision of the council concerning a no confidence vote to the Council of Ministers of Crimea and the appointment of Aksyonov as a chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea as well as declared illegal organization and conduct of a local referendum on improving the status and powers of autonomy.[141]

On March 17, 2014 Ukraine recalled its ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko from the Russian Federation officially to discuss the situation about Crimea.[142][143]

On March 18, 2014, video footage emerged of National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) CEO Oleksandr Panteleymonov being physically assaulted and forced to resign by Svoboda members of the Ukrainian parliament, including the deputy head of Ukraine's "committee on freedom of speech". Svoboda filmed the attack and posted it online.[144][145] On 19 March 2014, Ukraine are drawing plans to withdraw all their soldiers and their families to mainland Ukraine from Crimea "Quickly and Efficiently". [146]

Former President Viktor Yuschenko believes that the formerly imprisoned ex-Prime Minister and fierce political rival Yulia Tymoshenko "cut a deal" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which saw Ukraine give Crimea to Russia in exchange for Russia securing Tymoshenko's early release from prison.[147] Yushchenko said it is "quite strange" that Ukraine's Tymoshenko-dominated government has done nothing to secure the Crimean electricity and water infrastructure on the mainland, in addition to failing to stop "Russian agitators" from going to Donetsk and Kharkov.[147] Tymoshenko dismissed the charges as "anti-Ukrainian propaganda."[147]


Autonomous Republic of Crimea

Map denoting the subdivisions of Ukraine and the percentage of people that indicated Russian as their native language in the latest local census. Sevastopol identifies itself as the highest at 90.6% followed immediately by Crimea at 77.0%.

Operations of the Kerch ferry were suspended on February 27, 2014.[148] The Ukrainians in Crimea called on Ukrainian officials to secure peace and security for Crimeans and for European officials to influence the Russian position in regards to separatist attitudes.[149] The new chairman of the Council of Ministers hopes to receive financial help from the Russian Federation with support from Viktor Yanukovych.[150] In the telephone conversation Volodymyr Konstantinov explained to Nestor Shufrych (MP) that Crimea does not want a secession, but only to expand its right.[151] The former chief of the general staff Yuriy Ilyin was reported to be hospitalized with a heart attack in the Ukrainian Navy hospital in Sevastopol.[152]

Members of the Crimean government have declared their acceptance of Yanukovych as the legitimate President of Ukraine, deputy chairman of the Crimean parliament Konstantin Bakharev has said: "Today, Yanukovych is the legitimate president," though he also addressed issues concerning him saying, "But we have questions for him, questions as the leader of the government about his moral responsibility before the society, before the party he once led, and before Crimeans."[153]

About one thousand residents of Crimea, mainly Crimean Tatars, have left Crimea for Ukraine.[154][155][156]

Party of Regions MP Yuriy Miroshnychenko urged the Crimean government to stop the referendum.[157] Another Party of Regions MP, Hanna Herman, commented the same day about Yanukovych's press conference, "He needs to ... prevent the illegal referendum."[158]

Viktor Yanukovych

Late at night on February 27, 2014, the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, who is wanted along with Zakharchenko under suspicion of mass killing of people,[159] arrived in Rostov-on-Don escorted by jet fighters.[160] On 28 February he conducted a press-conference.[160] In this press conference Yanukovych stated "Crimea must remain part of the Ukrainian state retaining broad autonomy rights".[161] According to him the unrest in Crimea was "an absolutely natural reaction to the bandit coup that has occurred in Kiev"; and he stated he was confident that the people of Crimea "do not want to obey and will not obey nationalists and bandits".[161] He insisted that military action was "unacceptable" and that he would not request Russian military intervention.[162][163] Still on March 4, 2014 Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin showed a photocopy of the letter allegedly signed by Victor Yanukovich on 1 March 2014 where he demanded Russian military intervention in Ukraine.[164]

On March 11, 2014 Yanukovych vowed to return to Ukraine, calling upon the Ukrainian Armed Forces to not follow the "criminal orders" of the acting government in Kiev.[165] Yanukovych attacked the acting government in Ukraine as being a "band of ultranationalists and neo-fascists" that have replaced his government, and criticized their supposed Western backers.[165]

The Russian Federation

Request ("ultimatum") by Council of Ministers of Crimea to Ukrainian 55th Anti-Aircraft Artillery regiment in Yevpatoria to lay down arms under control of Russian Black Sea Fleet for the period of Crimean referendum

The State Duma Committee on Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, headed by Leonid Slutsky, visited Simferopol on February 25, 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."[166] They also stated that in the event of a referendum for Crimea region joining Russian Federation they would consider its results "very fast".[167][168] Later Slutsky announced that he was misunderstood by Crimean press and no decision regarding simplifying the process of acquiring Russian citizenship for people in Crimea has been made yet.[169] And added that if "fellow Russian citizens are in jeopardy you understand that we do not stay away".[170] On 25 February in a meeting with Crimean politicians he stated that Viktor Yanukovich was still the legitimate president of Ukraine.[171] That same day in the Russian Duma, they announced they were determining measures so that Russians in Ukraine who 'did not want to break from the Russian World' could acquire Russian citizenship.[172]

On February 26, 2014 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 defense, airborne troops and long-range military transport." Despite media speculation it was for in reaction to the events in Ukraine Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said it was in separate consideration from the unrest in Ukraine.[173] On February 27, 2014, the Russian government dismissed accusations about violation by the Russian side of the basic agreements in regards of the Black Sea Fleet: "All movements of armored vehicles are undertaken in full compliance with the basic agreements and did not require any approvals".[174][175][176]

On February 27, 2014, the Russian governing agencies presented the new law project on granting citizenship.[177]

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".[178] In its statement the ministry claims that agreement on settlement of the crisis which was signed on 21 February and was witnessed by foreign ministries from Germany, Poland and France has to this date, not been implemented[178] (Vladimir Lukin from Russia had not signed it[179]).

According to ITAR-TASS on February 28 the Russian Ministry of Transport discontinued its further talks with Ukraine in regards to the Kerch Strait Bridge project.[180] 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.[181][182]

On Russian social networks there is a movement to gather volunteers who served in the Russian army to go to Ukraine.[183]

On February 28 President Putin stated 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" in telephone calls with key EU leaders.[163] Already on 19 February the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the Euromaidan revolution as the "Brown revolution".[184][185]

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.[186]

In Moscow, on March 2, 2014 an estimated 27,000 rallied in support of the Russian government's decision to intervene in Ukraine.[187] Up to 15,000 participated in a similar rally in St. Petersburg, while around 12,000 rallied in Krasnodar.[187][188] The rallies received considerable attention on Russian state TV and were officially sanctioned by the government.[187]

Russian President Vladimir Putin (seated, middle) speaks to the press on 4 March, denouncing the events in Kiev as an "unconstitutional coup", and insisting that Moscow has a right to protect Russians in Ukraine.[189]

Meanwhile, on March 1, 2014 five people who were picketing next to the Federation Council building against the invasion of Ukraine were arrested.[190] The next day about 200 people protested at the building of the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow against Russian military involvement.[191] 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.[192] On 2 March about eleven protesters demonstrated in Yekaterinburg against Russian involvement, with some wrapped in the Ukrainian flag.[193] Protests were also held in Chelyabinsk on the same day.[194] The 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".[195] The Professor of the Department of Philosophy at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations Andrey Zubov was fired for his article in Vedomosti, criticizing Russian military intervention.[196]

President Putin's approval rating among the Russian public has 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 March 19.[197] Additionally, the same poll showed that more than 90% of Russians supported unification with the Crimean Republic.[197]

On March 4, 2014 at press conference in Novo-Ogaryovo President Putin expressed his view on the situation that if a revolution took place in Ukraine, it is a new country with which Russia did not conclude any treaties.[198] He brought up an analogy with events of 1917 in Russia, when as a result of the revolution the Russian Empire fell apart and a new state was created.[198] However, he stated Ukraine would still have to honor its debts.

Russian politicians have speculated that there are already 143,000 Ukrainian refugees in Russia.[199] The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted those claims of refugees increase in Russia.[200] At a briefing on 4 March 2014, the director of department of information policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevhen Perebiynis claimed that Russia was misinforming its own citizens as well as the entire international community to justify its own actions in the Crimea.[201]

On March 5, 2014 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 claims RT still supports her despite her differences of opinion.[202] 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.[203]

Prominent dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky said that Crimea should stay within Ukraine with broader autonomy.[204]

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.[205] On 5 March, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov signed an agreement on cooperation 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.[206] On 11 March, Minnikhanov was in Crimea on his second visit and attended as a guest present in the Crimean parliament chamber during the vote on the declaration of sovereignty pending the 16 March referendum.[207] 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".[208] Recently Mustafa Dzhemilev, a former leader of the Crimean Tatar Majlis, has declared that he is satisfied by Putin's reassurances to him on the safety of the Crimean Tatar community, changing his stance after earlier refusing to meet with Putin.[209] Dzhemilev believes that forces that are suspected to be Russian forces should leave the Crimean peninsula.[210]

International reactions

Main article: International reactions to the 2014 Crimean crisis
International reaction to the 2014 Crimean crisis according to official governmental statements.[j]
  Statements only voicing concern or hope for peaceful resolution to the conflict
  Support for Ukrainian territorial integrity
  Condemnation of Russian actions
  Condemnation of Russian actions as a military intervention or invasion
  Support for Russian actions and/or condemnation of the Ukrainian interim government
  "Recognition of Russian interests"
  Ukraine
  Russia
  No official statements / No data available

International reaction have called for restraint and urged a quick and peaceful resolution to the crisis.[211] The United States government has imposed sanctions against persons they deem to have violated or assisted in the violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.[212] The European Union has 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.[213][214] The EU Commission decided on 11 March to enter into a full free-trade agreement with Ukraine this year.[215] * On March 12 the European Parliament rejected the upcoming referendum on independence in Crimea, which they saw as manipulated and contrary to international and Ukrainian law.[216] The United Nations Security Council has held three emergency sessions since 28 February.[217] The G7 bloc of developed nations (the G8 minus Russia) made a joint statement condemning Russia and announced that they will suspend preparations for the upcoming G8 summit in Sochi in June.[218][219] 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.[220]

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.[221][222]

National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon of India stated that Russia has legitimate Rinterests in Crimea and called for "sustained diplomatic efforts" and "constructive dialogue" to resolve the crisis.[223] 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.[224] However, India subsequently made it clear that it will not support any "unilateral measures" against 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." [225] 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.[226][227] Sri Lanka described Yanukovych's removal as unconstitutional and considered Russia's concerns in Crimea as justified.[228]

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for change in EU energy policy as Germany's dependence on Russian gas poses risks for Europe.[229] Russia is dependent on energy export but no country had by 11 March cancelled trade or energy trade with Russia.[citation needed]

On 13 March, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Moscow it risks massive damage to Russia, economically and politically, if it refuses to change course on Ukraine.[230]

Sanction list

Some sanctions are published mainly to prevent Russian and Crimean officials and politicians to travel to Canada, the United States, and the EU. The Canadian prime minister has published the following sanction list: Sergey Glazyev (Sergey Yur’yevich Glaz’yev), Andrei Klishas (Andrei Klishas), Valentina Matviyenko (Valentina Ivanovra Matviyenko), Yelena Mizulina (Yelena Borisovna Mizulina), Dmitry Rogozin (Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin), Leonid Slutsky (Leonid Eduardovich Slutskiy) and Vladislav Surkov (Vladislav Yur’yevich Surkov). Apart from the Russians, also some Ukrainian persons are included Sergey Aksyonov (Serhiy Valeriyovich Aksyonov), Volodymyr Konstantynov (Volodymyr Andriyovych Konstantynov) and Viktor Medvedchuk (Viktor Volodymyrovich Medvedchuk). [231]

The European union sanction list: Sergey Aksyonov (also Canada), Volodymyr Konstantynov (also Canada), Rustam Temirgaliev, Denis Berezovsky, Aleksei Chaliy, Pyotr Zima, Yuriy Zherebtsov, Sergey Tsekov, Victor Ozerov, Vladimir Dzhabarov, Andrei Klishas (also Canada), Nikolai Ryzhkov, Evgeny Bushmin, Aleksandr Totoonov, Oleg Panteleev, Sergey Mironov, Sergey Zheleznyak, Leonid Slutsky (also Canada), Aleksandr Vitko, Anatoliy Sidorov and Aleksandr Galkin.[232]

The USA sanction list: Vladislav Surkov (also Canada and the EU), Sergey Glazyev (also Canada), Leonid Slutsky (also Canada and the EU), Andrei Klishas (also Canada and the EU), Valentina Matviyenko (also Canada), Dmitry Rogozin (also Canada), Yelena Mizulina (also Canada), Sergey Aksyonov (also Canada and the EU), Volodymyr Konstantynov (also Canada), Volodymyr Konstantynov (also Canada), Viktor Medvedchuk (also Canada) and Viktor Yanukovych. [233]

Japan announced milder sanctions than the US and EU. These include suspension of talks relating to military, space, investment, and visa requirements.[234]

In response to the sanctions introduced by the U.S. and EU, the Russian Duma unanimously passed a resolution asking for all members of the Duma to be included on the sanctions list.[235] Head of the 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."[235]

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 sovereignty, self-determination, acts of aggression, and humanitarian emergencies. Vladimir Putin on one hand, claims that the Russian intervention on Ukraine is for humanitarian purposes.[236] Ukraine and other nations, on the other hand, argue that such intervention is a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.[237]

Commentary

Several scholars, including Alexander J. Motyl, Paul A. Goble, Timothy D. Snyder, and Andreas Umland, have discussed the possibility of Russian military intervention in Crimea specifically, due to its unique geopolitical nature and demographics.[238][239]

Nina L. Khrushcheva, the great-granddaughter of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and a Russian Affairs professor at the The New School, says that the aim of Crimea is not necessarily independence from Ukraine, but rather continued dependence on Russia. However, this has instead led Putin to justify continued backing for Yanukovych as well as his own desires to re-take the peninsula. Nevertheless, she acknowledges that Putin's long term goal may not be annexation of Crimea, since this could cause ethnic Crimean Tatars, who had been forcibly displaced by Stalin to Central Asia, to demand a return to Crimea and possibly cause the Islamic insurgency to spread out of the Northern Caucasus. Furthermore, she also states that if Russia sets a precedent of recovering "lost territory", this could inspire countries such as China or Georgia to demand back their own "stolen lands".[240]

Volodymyr Panchenko, of the Kiev-based think-tank International Center for Policy Studies, said on February 28 that the aim of Russia is for Crimea to be "more or less controlled by Russian troops," but that if or when a referendum is held "more than 80 percent" of votes would be for secession from Ukraine. The way events are unfolding in Crimea "is not a good precedent for the other provinces."[241]

Russian opposition leader, chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov, former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Ukrainian MP Lesya Orobets (Batkivshchyna), former foreign minister of the Czech Republic, Karel Schwarzenberg, as well as the Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada John Baird compared Russia's actions to Nazi Germany's policy before the start of World War II, after the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.[242][243][244][245][246]

Ukraine's Chief Rabbi, Yaakov Bleich, described Putin's accusations of anti-semitism from Ukrainians towards Jews as a pretense for invasion as "what the Nazis did during the time of the Anschluss in Austria."[247]

Commentaries and editorials published by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency[248] and Global Times[249] supported Russia's position on the situation.

See also

Part of a series on the
History of Ukraine
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Early history
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2

Notes

  1. ^ Emil (2010) "[...] between 1443 and 1783, a strong and prosperous state, the crimean [sic] Khanate, ruled most of the people making up the Crimean Tatars. After Russia conquered the Khanate, Catherine the Great gave away the larger and better parts of the region to her close advisors and friends, who soon seized all Tatar lands. This led to the first mass emigration of Crimean Tatars, beginning an exodus, mostly to Turkey, that continues today.[1]
  2. ^ Flintoff (2013) "In 1944, on the orders of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, the entire population of Tatars on the Crimean Peninsula was rounded up and sent to the deserts of Soviet Central Asia. Nearly 70 years after that wartime atrocity, the Tatar population is still working to reassert itself in its homeland."[2]
  3. ^ Ghosh (2014) "The Tatars [...] once dominated the Crimean peninsula, but they are now a minority there, accounting for only about 12 percent of the population."[3]
  4. ^ Lally; Englund (2014) "The current government is illegitimate, Russia contends, because Yanukovych was not properly removed from power in a formal impeachment."[10]
  5. ^ Gumuchian; Morgan; Chance (2014) "Moscow has denounced the events that led to Yanukovych's ouster as an illegitimate coup and has refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities, putting the two countries on a collision course over control of Crimea, which has longstanding ties to Russia and has thousands of Russian troops stationed there."[11]
  6. ^ Dawber (2014) "Vladimir Putin has given a confident performance in front of the media, insisting that the events of the last 10 days in Ukraine amounted to nothing less than a coup d’état."[12]
  7. ^ The Washington Post (2014) "[Putin says:] Are the current authorities legitimate? The Parliament is partially, but all the others are not. The current Acting President is definitely not legitimate. There is only one legitimate President, from a legal standpoint. Clearly, he has no power. However, as I have already said, and will repeat: Yanukovych is the only undoubtedly legitimate President."[13]
  8. ^ 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."[87]
  9. ^ 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."[96]
  10. ^ 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.

References

Footnotes

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  2. ^ Flintoff, Corey (November 23, 2013). "Once Victims Of Stalin, Ukraine's Tatars Reassert Themselves". NPR. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  3. ^ Ghosh, Palash (February 26, 2014). "Ukraine Maidan: Tatars In Crimea Caught In a Complex Conflict With Ethnic Russians And Ukrainians". International Business Times. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  4. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/west-readies-sanctions-russia-crimea-vote-124719200--politics.html West readies sanctions on Russia after Crimea vote
  5. ^ "Update: The Ukrainian Parliament has voted unanimously (328-0) to impeach President Yanukovych" Forbes What Does The Future Hold For Ukraine
  6. ^ Parliament votes 328-0 to impeach Yanukovych on Feb. 22; sets May 25 for new election; Tymoshenko free (VIDEO) Feb. 23, 2014, 2:39 a.m. https://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv/euromaidan-rallies-in-ukraine-feb-21-live-updates-337287.html
  7. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-feffer/who-are-these-people-anyw_b_4964526.html Who Are These 'People,' Anyway?
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  9. ^ a b United Nations News Centre - UN Security Council action on Crimea referendum blocked
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  11. ^ Gumuchian, Marie-Louise; Morgan, Kellie; Chance, Matthew (March 10, 2014). "Demonstrators rally as Crimea crisis mounts". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
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  32. ^ Ukraine crisis: Does Russia have a case?
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  35. ^ Krim-Übertragung : War der Dnjepr-Kanal der Grund? - Nachrichten Geschichte - DIE WELT
  36. ^ a b Sasse, Gwendolyn (March 3, 2014). "Crimean autonomy: A viable alternative to war?". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  37. ^ Schmemann, Serge (May 6, 1992). "Crimea Parliament Votes to Back Independence From Ukraine". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  38. ^ Schmemann, Serge (May 22, 1992). "Russia Votes to Void Cession of Crimea to Ukraine". The New York Times. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
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  40. ^ Bohlen, Celestine (March 23, 1994). "Russia vs. Ukraine: A Case of the Crimean Jitters". The New York Times. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
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  43. ^ "Ukraine Moves To Oust Leader of Separatists". The New York Times. March 19, 1995. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
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  45. ^ http://rt.com/news/kharkov-gun-attack-denounced-842/ Moscow denounces gun attack on pro-Russian activists in Eastern Ukraine
  46. ^ a b Mackinnon, Mark (February 27, 2014). "Globe in Ukraine: Russian-backed fighters restrict access to Crimean city". The Globe & Mail.
  47. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26367786 Why Crimea is so dangerous
  48. ^ "Breakdown of population by mother tongue and districts in 50 Governorates of the European Russia". Russia: Institute of Demography.
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  50. ^ Institutional Legacies of Communism: Change and Continuities in Minority Protection, Routledge, 2013, ISBN 1135036667, pp. 142-151
  51. ^ Crimea votes to leave Ukraine in secession referendum and join Russia - World - CBC News
  52. ^ татары готовы дать отпор попыткам отторжения автономии от Украины
  53. ^ Regions Party gets 80 of 100 seats on Crimean parliament, Interfax Ukraine (11 November 2010).
  54. ^ "Thousands mourn Ukraine protester amid unrest". Al Jazeera. January 2014.
  55. ^ "У Сумах розгромили офіс ПР". UA: The Insider.
  56. ^ "В Киеве разгромили офис ЦК КПУ". Gazeta. UA. February 22, 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; December 1, 2008 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
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  58. ^ Russian ‘separatism’ in Crimea and NATO: Ukraine's big hope, Russia's grand gamble, By Elena Mizrokhi, August 2009
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  70. ^ "Russia, Ukraine feud over sniper carnage"
  71. ^ Yanukovych refuses to resign - and goes missing in E. Ukraine. Tymoshenko seizes opposition center stage in Kiev
  72. ^ "Agreement on the Settlement of Crisis in Ukraine"
  73. ^ "Agreement on the Settlement of Crisis in Ukraine"
  74. ^ "Sikorski: Yanukovych has only himself to blame – he broke the agreement, PAP 28 February 2014"
  75. ^ "What did Yanukovych take with him as he fled his mansion? Paintings, guns and a small dog, according to new video"
  76. ^ "Archrival Is Freed as Ukraine Leader Flees"
  77. ^ "http://www.rferl.org/content/was-yanukovychs-ouster-constitutional/25274346.html"
  78. ^ "Ukraine government files charges against Yanukovych for usurping power - See more at: http://concorde.ua/en/research/daily/ukraine-government-files-charges-against-yanukovych-for-usurping-power-12080/#sthash.9rCb9SDK.dpuf"
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  80. ^ "[1]"
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  83. ^ PM Butkevičius congratulates Ukraine’s new Prime Minister, Lithuania Tribune (27 February 2014)
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  93. ^ http://www.osce.org/fom/116312 OSCE media freedom representative concerned about new steps to restrict media plurality in Ukraine
  94. ^ The OSCE Should Act Decisively and Swiftly to Stop Intervention into Ukraine and Prevent a Major Security Crisis in Europe
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Other references

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