Accession/Annexation of Crimea to/by the Russian Federation

Russian, Crimean, and Sevastopolitan politicians sign a treaty whereby Crimea and Sevastopol are annexed by the Russian Federation.
Location	Moscow, Russia
Participants	Russia Republic of Crimea
Outcome	the Autonomous Republic of Crimea becomes the Republic of Crimea as a federal subject of Russia while Sevastopol becomes a Russian federal city
Ratified	March 21, 2014 (2014-03-21)
Finalization	January 1, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-01-01)
Status	disputed by Ukraine; not recognized by the United Nations

The Incorporation of Crimea into the Russian Federation, also called the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]} by the majority of United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and their allies—or the Accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation by Russia and her allies—is a disputed diplomatic process that began after the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol unilaterally declared their independence from Ukraine.

The regions joined together as a single nation afterwards and requested to be acceded to Russia as such, in accordance with a referendum that reflected such desire. Russia granted the request almost immediately by signing an adoption treaty together with the newly formed nation. The accession, however, was ratified separately: one for the Autonomous Republic as a republic and another for Sevastopol as a federal city, resulting in establishment of two new federal subjects of Russia.^[10] Ukraine, however, disputes the treaty as it does not consider the independence of the Autonomous Republic and Sevastopol as legitimate, nor the accession itself. So does the majority of the international community who has condemned Russia's actions as illegal.^[11]

Background

Russian and Soviet times

From 1783 Crimea was a part of the Russian Empire, initially incorporated into New Russia and separated from it into Taurida Governorate in 1802. Brief short-lived governments (Crimean People's Republic, Crimean Regional Government, Crimean SSR) were established during first stages of the Russian Civil War, but they were followed by White Russian (General Command of the Armed Forces of South Russia, later South Russian Government) and, finally, Soviet (Crimean ASSR) incorporations of Crimea into their own states. After World War II and Deportation of the Crimean Tatars Crimean ASSR was stripped of it's autonomy (1946) and downgraded to Crimean Oblast, which was transferred from the Russian SFSR into the Ukrainian SSR in 1954, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.

The Crimean Tatars were allowed to return to Crimea in the mid-1980s under perestroika.^[12]

After Crimean referendum of 1991, which asked whenether Crimea should be elevated into a signatory of the New Union Treaty (that is, became a union republic on it's own), Ukraine restored Crimea's autonomous status, but confirmed that autonomy restored as a part of the Ukrainian SSR. Crimean Oblast council became Supreme Council of Crimea and, on 4 September 1991, passed Declaration of state sovereignty of Crimea^[13]

Foundations of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (1992—1998)

Following dissolution of the Soviet Union the autonomy renamed itself into the Republic of Crimea.^[14] Ukrainain government initially accepted it's name, but not it's claims to be a state. According to Ukrainian law "On status of the autonomous Republic of Crimea", passed on 29 April 1992, "Republic of Crimea is an autonomous part of the Ukraine and independently decides on matters, which are delegated to it by the Constitution and laws of the Ukraine" (art. 1).^[15] Regional Supreme Council, on the contrary, insisted that "Republic of Crimea is a legal democratic state", which "has supremacy in respect to natural, material, cultural and spiritual heritage" and "exercises it's sovereign rights and full power" on it's territory (art. 1 of the May 1992 Constitution), but also a "part of the Ukraine and establishes relations in it on a basis of the treaty and agreements" (art. 9).^[16] Both Ukrainian law on autonomy status^[17] and the 1992 Constitution of the Crimea^[18] were amended later that year, putting Republic's status in middle between what proposed in initial revsion of the 1992 Constitution and what proposed in April 1992 Ukrainian law on status of the Republic.

In 1994, after parliamentary and presidential elections in the Republic, Supreme Council and the executive became dominated by Bloc Russia (which had won 57 seats in the Supreme Council of Crimea and Presidency for it's member, Yuri Meshkov), until 2014 it was highest achievment of pro-Russian movement at the peninsula.^[19] Following referendum, held in same year, Supreme Council of Crimea reversed 1992 Constitution to it's original revision,^[20] but a year later this Constitution, along with presidency and regional citizenship was declared null and void by the Ukrainian Parliament, which by that time, has renamed autonomy from "Republic of Crimea" into Autonomous Republic of Crimea.^[21] Another Constitution was passed by Crimean parliament in 1995,^[22] but many parts of it were rejected by the Ukrainian parliament, among them were Republic's name (which was to remain "Republic of Crimea") and citizenship.^[23] Meanwhile, during drafting of the new Ukrainain Constiution question of autonomy was much debated: some legislators proposed abolishing it altogether (downgrading back to oblast status or to autonomy but not autonomous republic),^[24][25] while other legislators proposed legalising 1992 Constitution of Crimea provisions (original May revision) in the new Ukrainian Constitution.^[24] Ultimately, new Constitution of Ukraine distanced from these extremes and reiterated autonomous status of the republic, while downgrading some of it's powers (such as regional Supreme Council's powers to enact legislation in form of laws ("zakoni")). The Republic was declared to be the "Autonomous Republic of Crimea", but also an "inseparable constituent part of Ukraine.".^[26] A new Crimean constitution, complying with provisions of the Ukrainan one, was adopted in 1998.

Status of Sevastopol

Before 1954 transfer of Crimea Sevastopol was elevated into a "city of republican subordination" of the Russian SFSR (a predecessor^[27] of modern status of "city of federal importance"). Neverthless, in practice it was still governed as a part of Crimean Oblast (for example, inhabitants of Sevastopol elected deputies into Crimean Oblast Council,^[28][29] all it's structures, such as local militsiya departaments, etc., were subordinated to oblast structures^[30]) and therefore was practically transferred too. Ukrainian Constitution of 1978 listed Sevastopol as one of it's "cities of republican subordination" (along with Kyiv),^[31] whlist Russian constitution of the same year didn't listed Sevastopol as such.^[32] In 1993 Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation issued a resolution, which "confirms Russian federal status of Sevastopol" and requests parliamentary commission to prepare and present to Congress of People's Deputies of Russia corresponding constitutional amendments, but 1993 Russian constitutional crisis prevented that from happening and initial revisions of the Constitution of Russia, adopted on 12 December 1993, did not listed Sevastopol as a federal subject. Three years later State Duma declared that Russia has right to exercise sovereignty over Sevastopol,^[33] but this resolution went without any actual effect. An agreement was concluded in 1997 by Russian and Ukrainian governments, allowing Black Sea Fleet to stay in Sevastopol until 2017 (later extended by another 25 years until 2042, with possible option to extend this period until 2047).

Euromaidan and beginning of crisis

In autumn 2013 and early 2014 Supreme Council of Crimea stood in strong opposition to Euromaidan movement. Regional parliament supported Azarov Government's decision to suspend negotiations on Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and urged Crimeans to "strengthen friendly ties with Russia".^[34] On 4 February 2014 the Presidium of the Supreme Council decided to hold a referendum on peninsula's status and asked President of Russia and State Duma to ensure it's holding. Because of that, the Security Service of Ukraine opened criminal case on "subversion of territorial integrity of the Ukraine".^[35] Following 2014 Ukrainian revolution unidentified forces seized the Building of the Supreme Council of Crimea (the regional parliament) and the building of the Council of Ministers in Simferopol.^[36] After that, the Supreme Council of Crimea dissolved the old Council of Ministers of Crimea, designated a new prime minister (Sergey Aksyonov) and decided to hold a referendum on 25 May, with the initial question as to whenether Crimea should upgrade it's autonomy within the Ukraine into state of "state autonomy (Russian: государственная самостоятельность, Gosudarstvennaya samostoyatelnost)".^[37] This referendum was declared illegal by the Ukrainan authorities.^[38]

Timeline

Federal Law On Ratifying the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on Admitting to the Russian Federation the Republic of Crimea and Establishing within the Russian Federation New Constituent Entities.

Federal Constitutional Law On Admitting to the Russian Federation the Republic of Crimea and Establishing within the Russian Federation the New Constituent Entities of the Republic of Crimea and the City of Federal Importance Sevastopol.

• March 6:
  • Supreme Council of Crimea has moved referendum to 16 March and changed it's question from initial question on broadening autonomy within Ukraine to new question: whether Crimea should join Russia or remain in the Ukraine and restore the 1992 Constitution.
• March 11:
  • Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Crimea
• March 15:
  • Protests in Moscow ahead of the vote have both supporters and opposition to the intervention in Ukraine and possible incoporation of Crimea.^[39][40]
• March 16:
  • The referendum on the status of Crimea concludes, with 95% of votes cast for unification with Russia of the more than half that had been counted.^[41]
• March 17:
  • Dispute over the results of the referendum on the status of Crimea are questioned from outside organisations.^[42]
  • Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in Dmitry Medvedev's Cabinet states to the press, "The hopes of the Crimean people, who have voted in Sunday's referendum for accession to Russia, should not be forfeited."^[43]
  • Crimea’s Parliament declares independence and asks the Russian Federation to admit the Republic of Crimea into Russia.^[44]
  • Crimea's Parliament declares the Russian ruble an official currency, alongside hryvnia.^[45]
  • President of Russia Vladimir Putin issues a decree formally recognizing Crimea as an independent state.^[46]
  • President of Russia approves draft Treaty between Russian Federation and Republic of Crimea on admission of the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation and establishment of the new subjects of the Russian Federation.^[47]
  • The Republic of Crimea is recognized by Russia.^[48]
• March 18:
  • According to Article 6 of the Federal Constitutional Law (Russia) "On the Procedure of Admission to the Russian Federation and the Formation Within It New Subject of the Russian Federation" of 2001, President Vladimir Putin notifies the Government, the State Duma and the Federation Council of proposals by the Crimean State Council and the Sevastopol Legislative Assembly regarding their admission to the RF and the formation of new constituent territories.^[49][50]
  • President of Russia Vladimir Putin addresses the Russian Federal Assembly on Crimea's accession to Russia,^[51] and signs the treaty on the admission of the Republic of Crimea (including Sevastopol) into Russia (as the Republic of Crimea and federal city Sevastopol respectively in accordance with the provisions of the 2001 Admission Law).^[52]
  • Transnistria sends a request to join the Russian Federation following the Crimean example and in compliance with the Admission Law provisions.^[53][54][55]
• March 19:
  • Putin submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, a treaty of Crimea’s reunification with Russia and a constitutional amendment on setting up two new constituent territories of the Russian Federation.^[56]
  • Russia’s Constitutional Court unanimously ruled that the Treaty on the Adoption of the Republic of Crimea to Russia comports with the Russian Constitution. The court sat in an emergency session following a formal request by President Vladimir Putin to assess the constitutionality of the treaty.^[57][58]
• March 20:
  • The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament ratified the interstate treaty on the admission of Crimea into Russia by a 443-1 vote with no abstentions, backdating the admission to March 18,^[59][60] and approves draft federal constitutional law on admission of the Republic of Crimea and establishment of the new federal subjects of the Russian Federation (444-1 vote in first reading, 445-1 vote in final reading, no abstentions in both).^[61][62] A Just Russia's Ilya Ponomarev was the only State Duma member to vote against it.
• March 21:
  • The Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament unanimously ratified the interstate treaty on the admission of Crimea into Russia. Of its 170 members, 155 members who were present at the session hall voted for ratification of the document.^[63]
  • Ukraine signs E.U. trade pact while Russia finalizes Crimea dealings.^[64]
  • With both houses of the Federal Assembly having done their ratification, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, signed the federal law on ratification of the interstate treaty on the admission of Crimea into Russia and the federal constitutional law "On admission of the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation and establishment of the new subjects in the Russian Federation — Republic of Crimea and city of federal importance Sevastopol" in accordance with the provisions of the 2001 Admission Law, therefore amending article 65 of the Constitution of Russia (which lists federal subjects of Russia) in the process.^[65]
• March 23:
  • Belarus recognized Crimea as de-facto part of Russia.^[66]
• March 24:
  • Ukraine orders withdrawal of all Ukrainian armed forces from Crimean peninsula.^[67]
  • The Ministry of Defense announces 50% of the Ukrainian troops in Crimea have defected to the Russian military.^[68][69]
• March 27:
  • Nicaragua recognized incorporation of Crimea into Russia.^[70]
  • United Nations General Assembly declared the referendum invalid and reaffirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity, by a vote of 100 to 11, with 58 abstentions and 24 absent.^[71][72]
• March 29:
  • Crimea and Sevastopol switched to Moscow Time at 22:00 (10:00 PM) Eastern European Time.^[73][74]
• April 2:
  • Russia, on proposal of President, denounces 2010 Kharkiv Pact and Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet,^[75] citing accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol into Russia and resulting "practical end of renting relationships" as a reason for denunciation.^[76]
• May 9
  • On May 9, 2014 new "anti-extremist" amendment to the Criminal Code of Russia, passed in December 2013, comes into force. New article 280.1 means that inciting violation of territorial integrity of the Russian Federation^[77] (incl. calls for secession of Crimea from the Russia^[78]) will be a criminal offence in Russia, punishable by a fine of 300 thousand roubles or imprisonment up to 3 years. If such statements are made in public media or the internet, the punishment could be obligatory works up to 480 hours or imprisonment up to five years.^[77]

Transition

The number of tourists visiting Crimea in the 2014 season is expected to be lower than in the previous years due to worries about the political situation.^[79] The Crimean government members however hope that Russian tourists will flow in calling it the Russian season.^[80] The Russian government is planning to promote Crimea as a resort and provide subsidized holidays to the peninsula for children and state workers.^[81]

The Sofia news agency Novinite claims that according to the German newspaper Die Welt, accession of Crimea is economically disadvantageous for the Russian Federation. Russia will have to spend billions of euros a year to pay salaries and pensions. Moreover, Russia will have to undertake costly projects to connect Crimea to the Russian water supply and power system because Crimea has no land connection to Russia and at present gets water, gas and electricity from mainland Ukraine. This will require building a bridge and a pipeline across the Kerch Strait. Also, Novinite claims that a Ukrainian expert told Die Welt that Crimea "will not be able to attract tourists".^[82] One major reason is that Ukraine does not require visas for Europeans and North Americans to visit the country, but Russia does.

The Russian business newspaper Kommersant expresses an opinion that Russia will not acquire anything economically from accessing Crimea, which is not very developed industrially, having just a few big factories, and whose yearly gross product is only $4 billion. The newspaper also says that everything from Russia will have to be delivered by sea, higher costs of transportation will result in higher prices for everything, and in order to avoid a decline in living standards Russia will have to subsidize Crimean people for a few months.^[83]

In total, Kommersant estimates the costs of integrating Crimea into Russia in $30 billion over the next decade, i.e. $3 billion per year.^[83]

Russian/Chechen businessman ru announced he is ready to invest 12 billion rubles into the construction of a modern sea resort in Crimea, which is expected to create about 1,300 jobs. Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of Chechnya, said that other Chechen businessmen are planning to invest into Crimea as well.^[84]

The Russian Federal Service for Communications (Roskomnadzor) warned about a transition period as Russian operators have to change the numbering capacity and subscribers. Country code will be replaced from the Ukrainian +380 to Russian +7. Codes in Crimea start with 65, but in the area of "7" the 6 is given to Kazakhstan which shares former Soviet Union +7 with Russia, so city codes have to change. The regulator assigned 869 dialing code to Sevastopol and the rest of the peninsula recived a 365 code.^[85] At the time of the unification with Russia, telephone operators and Internet service providers in Crimea and Sevastopol are connected to the outside world through the territory of Ukraine.^[86] Minister of Communications of Russia, Nikolai Nikiforov announced on his Twitter account that postal codes in Crimea will now have six-figures: to the existing five-digit number the number two will be added at the beginning. For example, the Simferopol postal code 95000 will become 295000.^[87]

International recognition

Several members of 193 members of the United Nations have recognized the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol to be federal subjects of Russia:

Position of  Belarus is vague: it includes "Ukraine should remain an integral, indivisible, non-aligned state" and "As for Crimea, I do not like it when the integrity and independence of a country are broken", on the one hand, and "Today Crimea is part of the Russian Federation. No matter whether you recognize it or not, the fact remains." and "Whether Crimea will be recognized as a region of the Russian Federation de-jure does not really matter", on the other hand.^[91]

Sanctions

Sanctions were imposed to prevent Russian and Crimean officials and politicians to travel to Canada, the United States, and the European Union.

Japan announced milder sanctions than the US and EU. These include suspension of talks relating to military, space, investment, and visa requirements.^[92]

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė praised the U.S.'s decision to sanction Russia, saying Obama had set an example.^[93]

In response to the sanctions introduced by the U.S. and EU, the Russian Duma unanimously passed a resolution asking for all members of the Duma to be included on the sanctions list.^[94] Head of the opposition A Just Russia party Sergei Mironov said he was proud of being included on the sanctions list, "It is with pride that I have found myself on the black list, this means they have noticed my stance on Crimea."^[94]

Three days after the lists were published, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a reciprocal sanctions list of US citizens, which consisted of 10 names, including House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, Senator John McCain, and two advisers to President Obama.^[95] Several of those sanctioned responded with pride at their inclusion on the list, including John Boehner who, through his spokesperson Michael Steel, said, “The Speaker is proud to be included on a list of those willing to stand against Putin’s aggression.";^[96][97] John McCain who tweeted, "I'm proud to be sanctioned by Putin - I'll never cease my efforts & dedication to freedom & independence of Ukraine, which includes Crimea.";^[93][96][97] Bob Menendez;^[96][97] Dan Coats;^{[93][96][97][97][98]} Mary Landrieu^[98] and Henry Reid.^[98]

According to the Financial Times on Friday, March 21, "As recently as the start of the week, some of Moscow's financial elite were blasé about the prospect of sanctions. But Russia's businessmen were no longer smiling by [… the end of it] after expanded US sanctions rippled through financial markets hitting the business interests of some of the country's richest people."^[99] The Americans centered on the heart of Moscow's leadership,^[100] though the EU initial list shied from targeting Putin's inner circle.^[101] As ratings agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor's downgraded Russia's credit outlook,^[102] Novatek, Russia's second-largest gas producer, saw $2.5bn in market value wiped out when its shares sank by nearly 10%, rendering Putin's close friend Gennady Timchenko, who has a 23% stake in the company, $575m poorer.^[99] "I do hope that there is some serious diplomatic activity going on behind the scenes," said one Russian banker quoted by the newspaper,^[103] though others were more sanguine on the question of whether the sanctions would have any enduring effect^[102]—"What has been announced so far is really nothing. It's purely cosmetic," said a French banker based in Moscow^[104]—and Russians, top and bottom, seemed defiant.^[105] The official Russian response was mixed.^[106]

United Nations Resolutions

UN Security Council vote on a draft resolution condemning the 2014 Crimean referendum.

  Voted in favor of the resolution

  Abstained

  Vetoed the resolution

UN General Assembly vote on the resolution condemning the 2014 Crimean referendum.

  In favor of considering the referendum illegal

  Against adopting the resolution

  Abstained

  Absent when the vote took place

Security Council Resolution

On March 15, 2014 a U.S.-sponsored resolution was put forward to vote in the UN Security Council to reaffirm council's commitment to Ukraine's "sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity." A total of 13 council members voted in favour of the resolution, Russia's close ally China abstained, while Russia vetoed the U.N. resolution declaring Crimean referendum, 2014, on the future of Crimean Peninsula, as illegal.^[107] The Russia's veto to the UN Security Council resolution was followed by a successful referendum was held on March 16, 2014, by the legislature of Crimea as well as by the local government of Sevastopol. After the referendum, the Republic of Crimea declared its independence from Ukraine the next day, started seeking UN recognition, and requested to join the Russian Federation.^[108] On the same day, Russia recognized Crimea as a sovereign state.^[109][110]

General Assembly Resolution

On March 27, 2014, The UN General Assembly approved a resolution^[111] describing the referendum leading to annexation of Crimea by Russia as illegal. The draft resolution, which was titled 'Territorial integrity of Ukraine' was co-sponsored by Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and the US. It affirmed council's commitment to the "sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders." The resolution tried to underscored that the March 16 referendum held in Crimea and the city of Sevastopol has no validity and cannot form the basis for any alteration of the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea or of the city of Sevastopol. The resolution got 100 votes in its favour, while nations 11 voted against and 58 countries abstained from the vote. The resolution was non-binding and the vote was largely symbolic.^[112]

Gallery

• 
  Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Government, governors and others in a speech regarding Crimea's accession to Russia.
• 
  Russian, Crimean, and Sevastopolitan politicians stand to applaud after Putin finishes his speech.
• 
  Putin shakes hands with Sergey Aksyonov, de facto Prime Minister of Crimea while Chairman of the Crimean Parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov (left), and Chief of the City Council of Sevastopol, Aleksei Chalyi (right), watch.
• 
  Rally on Red Square in support the accession of Crimea to Russia.
• 
  Putin on Red Square addresses the crowd in a rally in support of the accession of Crimea to Russia.
• 
  Final ceremony signing the laws on admitting Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation

Videos

• Address by President of the Russian Federation.
• Rally on Red Square in support the Accession of Crimea to Russia.
• Ceremony signing the laws on admitting Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation

See also

• Irredentism
• Simferopol Incident controversy

References

External links

• A treaty of accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sebastopol to the Russian Federation. Unofficial English translation with commentary