If you thought that in the 21st century, countries could no longer annex other territories, you can think again.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, known for his flare for the unpredictable and surprising, has stunned the world once again. On Tuesday, Putin signed a document which established the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula into the Russian Federation, the first annexation of another European country's territory since World War II. Also, the Crimean port city of Sevastopol has also become part of Russia as a separate federal subject.
This all has happened only three weeks after Russian soldiers took over the Crimean parliament. Most of all, this happened only two days after Crimea voted and approved a referendum to separate from Ukraine. Until recently, the semi-autonomous region of Crimea had been part of Ukraine, as the Ukrainian government had veto power on the actions of the Crimean Parliament, but as it became caught in the crossfire of the revolts in Ukraine and Russia's influence, things have definitely taken a dramatic turn. The referendum that was voted on Sunday passed with an overwhelming majority in favor of joining Russia. Having said that, both the West and Ukraine’s transitional government believe that the referendum was not transparent and that people were forced into voting in favor of joining the Russian Federation.
Putin's decisions over the past weeks have attracted international criticism and preoccupation. The presence of Russian troops in Crimea caused one of the gravest security crisis since the Cold War on European soil. This latest decision has also attracted more criticism as leaders worldwide have condemned Putin's actions.
The United Kingdom has halted its military exports to Russia while the U.S. has threatened to impose further sanctions on the country. In the meantime, Ukraine says it does not recognize the annexation of the peninsula. The Prime Minister of Ukraine has called this event a "robbery on an international scale" that Ukraine will never be able to accept.
Putin, on the other hand, has stated that the rights of ethnic Russians (who are a majority in the region) in Ukraine had been abused by the new Ukrainian government and that the referendum voted on last Sunday reflected the right of their self-determination. Putin insists that Russia intervened for the good and stability of the region.
As the United Nations Security Council P5 members are currently in Vienna with Iran for nuclear talks, one can only wonder if the assigned diplomats are managing to stick with the topic on Iran, with such a conflicting issue involving one of their major participants. In the meantime, Barack Obama has asked G7 countries and the EU to organize a meeting alongside the nuclear summit that will be taking part next week in The Hague, in order to discuss what measures to take against Russia. So far, the U.S. and the EU have imposed sanctions and frozen accounts of Russian officials involved in the so-called invasion of Crimea, but these measures may no longer suffice. At this point, will Russia act before the international community answers with harsh measures, or will it simply end up in isolation?
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Video Wednesday: Russia Annexes Crimea—and Makes History
March 19, 2014
If you thought that in the 21st century, countries could no longer annex other territories, you can think again.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, known for his flare for the unpredictable and surprising, has stunned the world once again. On Tuesday, Putin signed a document which established the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula into the Russian Federation, the first annexation of another European country's territory since World War II. Also, the Crimean port city of Sevastopol has also become part of Russia as a separate federal subject.
This all has happened only three weeks after Russian soldiers took over the Crimean parliament. Most of all, this happened only two days after Crimea voted and approved a referendum to separate from Ukraine. Until recently, the semi-autonomous region of Crimea had been part of Ukraine, as the Ukrainian government had veto power on the actions of the Crimean Parliament, but as it became caught in the crossfire of the revolts in Ukraine and Russia's influence, things have definitely taken a dramatic turn. The referendum that was voted on Sunday passed with an overwhelming majority in favor of joining Russia. Having said that, both the West and Ukraine’s transitional government believe that the referendum was not transparent and that people were forced into voting in favor of joining the Russian Federation.
Putin's decisions over the past weeks have attracted international criticism and preoccupation. The presence of Russian troops in Crimea caused one of the gravest security crisis since the Cold War on European soil. This latest decision has also attracted more criticism as leaders worldwide have condemned Putin's actions.
The United Kingdom has halted its military exports to Russia while the U.S. has threatened to impose further sanctions on the country. In the meantime, Ukraine says it does not recognize the annexation of the peninsula. The Prime Minister of Ukraine has called this event a "robbery on an international scale" that Ukraine will never be able to accept.
Putin, on the other hand, has stated that the rights of ethnic Russians (who are a majority in the region) in Ukraine had been abused by the new Ukrainian government and that the referendum voted on last Sunday reflected the right of their self-determination. Putin insists that Russia intervened for the good and stability of the region.
As the United Nations Security Council P5 members are currently in Vienna with Iran for nuclear talks, one can only wonder if the assigned diplomats are managing to stick with the topic on Iran, with such a conflicting issue involving one of their major participants. In the meantime, Barack Obama has asked G7 countries and the EU to organize a meeting alongside the nuclear summit that will be taking part next week in The Hague, in order to discuss what measures to take against Russia. So far, the U.S. and the EU have imposed sanctions and frozen accounts of Russian officials involved in the so-called invasion of Crimea, but these measures may no longer suffice. At this point, will Russia act before the international community answers with harsh measures, or will it simply end up in isolation?
