Disinfo: People of Crimea legally decided their fate in 2014

Summary

The people of Crimea, decided their fate clearly and legitimately in 2014, following all legal rules.

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.

Check previous disinformation narratives in our database alleging that the EU has accepted Crimea's incorporation into Russia and that the Crimean people chose to be with Russia through the democratic procedure; or that annexing of Crimea didn’t really happen, it was a reunification; or that Crimea never belonged to Ukraine; or that it is impossible to recognize the annexation of Crimea because it never happened.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 257
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 23/08/2021
  • Article language(s) Arabic
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: Crimea, Referendum, Manipulated elections/referendum, Ukrainian statehood, International Law, illegal annexation
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Disinfo: Navalny was poisoned with expired Novichok that is why he survived

Navalny, allegedly poisoned a year ago by the personal order of Putin, was rescued by Russian pilots who landed the plane urgently in Omsk in Siberia and by Russian doctors who took care of him immediately... Navalny eventually arrived at the German clinic La Charité - the one that "treated" Ukrainian President Yushchenko in 2004 for his political poisoning. Back on his feet again, the Novichok must have expired, the question of [Navalny's] return to Russia arose because he was still under judicial control for the Yves Rocher case.

Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative questioning the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.

This op-ed that describes Alexei Navalny as a crook that uses political opposition and fights against corruption to establish a wide corruption network states ironically that Novichok must have been expired since it failed to kill Alexei Navalny in August 2020.

Disinfo: The US, NATO, and intelligence services of the UK are behind Crimean Platform

Ukraine needs Crimea only as a bone of contention and political tool. Kyiv's project to get back the peninsula is an illusion.

Crimean Platform summit is the place where the West supports neo-Nazis and the racist moods of modern Ukrainian authorities. Behind the summit are the US, NATO, and intelligence services of the United Kingdom.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Ukraine being a 'puppet of the West'.

Russia is an occupying power in Crimea, a fact already recognised by the UN General Assembly, PACE, the EU, the International Criminal Court, and other international organisations and states.

Disinfo: UK has been using chemical weapons for long time

UK played a role in coordinating the international response in the Navalny case where Germany also acted as Navalny was in Germany. The first round was UK's study of material in the Litvinenko case. The next act was the Skripals case where PM Theresa May stirred up drama. The next round was use of poison and chemical weapons staged by the "White Helmets" in Syria. UK is linked to this as the creator and leader of the "White Helmets" NGO is a retired UK military officer. But something went wrong and he suddenly ended his life by suicide...

Disproof

One of the various and contradictory false narratives of the pro-Kremlin media on the poisoning of Alexey Navalny.

The poisoning of the Kremlin’s prominent critic Alexey Navalny by the nerve agent Novichok was confirmed by OPCW. Before the poisoning, Navalny was followed by FSB officers, including from a clandestine unit specialised in working with poisonous substances, during his trips across Russia, traveling alongside him on more than 30 overlapping flights to the same destinations.