Disinfo: An acute political Ukrainian crisis brought back Crimea to Russia

Summary

Crimea returned to Russia after a popular referendum organized there in March 2014, against the backdrop of an acute political crisis that led to a change of power in Ukraine.

The Russian leadership has repeatedly said that the Crimean people voted in favour of unity with Russia in a democratic manner and in accordance with international laws and the Charter of the United Nations, while Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that “the Crimean file is permanently closed”.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine.

Crimea did not "return" to Russia, but was illegally annexed by Moscow.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has stated that “the situation within the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol amounts to an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. This international armed conflict began at the latest on 26 February 2014 when the Russian Federation deployed members of its armed forces to gain control over parts of the Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian Government."

On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it stated 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.

According to international law, Crimea is a part of Ukraine. Russia violated international law as well as key principles of the European security framework by illegally annexing the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol in 2014.

A year after the illegal annexation, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the so-called referendum.

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  • Reported in: Issue 184
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 03/02/2020
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: illegal annexation, Eastern Ukraine, Crimea, Vladimir Putin
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