Russian Annexation of Crimea Class 9
Ukraine through history ● Kiev is cradle of Russian civilization. ● Then occupied by Mongols, Tatars and Lithuanians. ● Autonomous part of Russian empire until 1764.
Ukraine through history ● Brief independence after WWI as Ukrainian People’s Republic. ● Insurgency against Nazi and Soviet occupation during and after WWII.
Crimea part of RSFSR until 1954 ● Transferred to Ukrainian SSR in largely symbolic move by Soviet premier Khrushchev.
After Soviet collapse scramble for Crimea ● Majority of population is ethnically Russian. ● Russian Black Fleet Headquarters in Sevastopol. ● Brief independence declaration in 1992. ○ Ukraine grants more autonomy. ● Russia signs Budapest Memorandum 1994.
Ukraine before 2014:
Ukraine before 2014: Divided
Ukraine before 2014: Radicalizing
Russia before 2014:
Russia before 2014: Autocratic
Russia before 2014: Assertive
2014 Ukrainian Revolution ● Pro-Russian president Yanukovych refuses to sign deal with EU. ● Protests erupt in response. ● Repression results in Yanukovych's ouster.
Two different narratives emerge: Pro-EU/US: Pro-Russia: - Yanukovych was - Yanukovych was dictator. ousted in Western - Betrayed will of coup. the people - Replaced by fascist government. Both have elements of fact and fiction...
New Ukrainian government... ● Revokes Russia language’s status as official language. ● Threatens to break Russian lease agreement for Sevastopol. Protests erupt in Crimea both in support of and against new government.
Russian troops seize Crimea - Five days after Revolution, unidentified troops appear. - Seize military and political buildings. - Evict Ukrainian soldiers that don’t defect.
Crimea holds independence referendum in March ● Crimean Tatars boycott referendum. ● 96% vote to leave Ukraine and join Russia. ● Annexation formalized in January 2015.
Subsequent events: - Russian-backed separatists seize parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. - US and EU implement sanctions on Russia.
Were the measures by international community effective? Why or why not?
What could be done to pressure Russia to reduce/stop its intervention?
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