Disinfo: 2014 Referendum in Crimea was held in strict accordance with international law

Summary

The Crimean peninsula was reunited with the Russian Federation following a referendum in 2014. More than 96% of voters voted for the annexation of Crimea to Russia. Despite the fact that the referendum was conducted in accordance with all international standards, Ukraine refused to recognise the results of the vote.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the illegal annexation of Crimea, claiming that it voted to rejoin Russia through a legal referendum.

Crimea is an internationally recognised part of Ukraine. Іn 1997, by signing the Friendship Agreement with Ukraine, Russia also recognised that Crimea belongs to Ukraine.

No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.

Even Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, recognised on 17 April 2015 that "our soldiers were deployed in Crimea to help the inhabitants express their opinion." Vladimir Putin (proudly) admitted that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the so-called referendum; hence not following the so-called 'popular will'.

The European Union does not recognise and continues to strongly condemn this violation of international law, which remains a challenge to the international security order. In response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, the EU has imposed restrictive measures against the Russian Federation. In June 2021, the European Council decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2022.

Read also similar recent casesReferendum in Crimea was held in strict accordance with international law, De facto and de jure Crimea is a part of Russia with 96 per cent support from the people, Crimean residents voted in a referendum to return Crimea to Russia after a coup in Ukraine in 2014

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fr.news-front.info (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 258
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10/09/2021
  • Article language(s) French
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: illegal annexation, Referendum, Crimea, Manipulated elections/referendum
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Disinfo: Washington and Brussels implement information war against people of Russia and Belarus

The West is using information warfare to destroy cultural and worldview spheres of life in Russia and Belarus. It is the war for consciousness. The purpose is to re-format the consciousness of the people of Russia and Belarus according to the matrix from Washington and Brussels.

Sep 09, 2021
Disproof

A recurring narrative about alleged Western information war against Russia and Belarus.

The claim that Washington or Brussels want to affect or change the consciousness of inhabitants of Russia or Belarus is not supported by evidence.

Disinfo: Claims about Russian contacts in Catalonia are a stupid forgery

A New York Times article claiming that there were contacts between an advisor to the former Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, and Russia, cited a European intelligence report that the newspaper's reporters were able to see, while it later turned out to be a stupid forgery.

The newspaper claimed that Josep Lluís Alay, a senior advisor to the former Catalan President, met with Russian businessman Alexander Dmitrenko, foreign intelligence officials and Oleg Syromolotov, who is responsible for combating terrorism and serves as Russia’s deputy Foreign Minister. Syromolotov had never met Josep Lluís Alay in Moscow and outside Russia, and had no contacts with him, either in the past or the present.

Sep 09, 2021
Disproof

Recurrent self-victimisation technique to deny a piece of embarrassing news and qualify it as Russophobia or planned provocation.

The article from the New York Times is based on a report from European intelligence that synthesises a long investigation that included the interception of conversation between pro-independence figures in Catalonia. The leak from the Spanish police was also consulted by other media organisations like OCCRP or El Pais.

Disinfo: G20 countries recognised Sputnik V as the best drug for coronavirus prevention

G20 countries recognised Sputnik V as the best drug for coronavirus prevention. During their interventions at a G20 meeting, health ministers were saying that Sputnik V was the best vaccine against COVID-19.

Sep 09, 2021
Disproof

The statement is unfounded, part of a years-long campaign by pro-Kremlin outlets and officials to promote the Sputnik V vaccine internationally.

The claim was, unsurprisingly, made by Russia’s Health Minister Mikhail Murashko during the 4th Forum of Social Innovations of the Regions, a domestic event in Moscow, but there is no G20-evidence to back it. There is no official statement by G20 health ministers addressing this question. Significantly, Murashko’s official comments immediately after the meeting didn’t pick such remarkable affirmations, focusing only on calling G20 member countries to recognise each other’s vaccines.