Crimean Crisis 2014

 Map of Crimea [Wikimedia Commons]

The annexation of Crimea by Russia in March 2014 took place in the aftermath of the Ukrainian Revolution 2014. It was a part of the wider pro-Russian and anti-government unrest across south-eastern Ukraine.

On 23 February pro-Russian and anti-Kiev demonstrations were held in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. On 27 February unmarked Russian troops from Crimean military bases took over the Supreme Council of Crimea, and secured strategic sites across Crimea by early March. In the mean time a pro-Russian deputy Sergey Aksyonov replaced Anatolii Mohyliov as the head of Council of Ministers of Crimea. On 27 February the Supreme Council of Crimea voted to hold a referendum on 25 May, that was later brought forward. The referendum was judged by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine as unconstitutional. Despite this, on 16 March, a referendum on the status of Crimea took place and subsequently the Crimea's independence was declared, while signing the treaty of accession with the Russian Federation took place on 18 March 2014.

March 2014

 

19 March

• Russia's Constitutional Court on the Crimean annexation [Rapsi news]

  • Document [pravo.gov.ru]

18 March

• Putin addresses Federal Council on Crimea [RT.com]

  • Video - in Russian

  • Video - with English translation

• Full transcript of Putin's address to the parliament in Russian [Kremlin.ru]

  • In Russian

  • In English

• Executive Order on executing Agreement on Admission of Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation [Kremlin.ru]

• British PM statement on President Putin's actions on Crimea [UK Prime Minister's Office]

• Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan on the referendum in Crimea [Kazinfo]

• Remarks to the Press by Vice President Joe Biden with Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland [The White House]

• William Hague's statement to Parliament on Russia's actions in Crimea [UK Foreign Office]

• Joint statement on Crimea by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, and the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso [EU]

• Readout of Obama's call with Merkel regarding Ukraine [The White House]

17 March

• Putin signed Executive Order On Recognising the Republic of Crimea [Kremlin.ru]

[Text]

• EU's Ashton Urges Russia to De-Escalate Tension in Crimea [IBTimes UK via YouTube]

• Statement by the North Atlantic Council "on the so-called referendum in Crimea" [NATO]

• Statement by Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Crimea referendum and security of Crimean Tatars [Turkish Foreign Ministry]

• Resolution "On the Independence of Crimea" - [Verkhovna Rada Autonomous Republic of Crimea]

• Putin says that the decision to hold the referendum in Crimea was in line with international law and the UN Charter [Kremlin.ru]

• Hague: The UK will not recognise the Crimea referendum that took place yesterday (16 March) as legal or legitimate [British Foreign Office]

• Press conference of Mikhail Malyshev regarding the results of Crimean referendum. Video. [112.Ukraina]

• Gorbachev: "People of Crimea amend Soviet-era mistake" [Inter Fax]. 

• Statement Attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on Ukraine [UN]

• Fact Sheet: Ukraine-Related Sanctions [The White House]

• Executive Order - Blocking Property of Additional Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine [The White House]

• EU adopts restrictive measures against actions threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity[Council of The European Union]

  • Council conclusions on Ukraine    

  • Council decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine

• Obama Speaks on Ukraine [The White House via YouTube]

16 March

• Crimea referendum should not convince anyone [British Foreign Office]

• Joint statement on Crimea by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso [European Council]

15 March

• Statement of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine [Euromaidan PR]

• Churkin's speech at U.N. Security Council regarding a resolution on situation in Ukraine [Russian Permanent Mission to UN]

14 March

• Putin had a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

• NATO's Secretary General statement on the so-called referendum in Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea [NATO]

• Video recording of press conference by Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov [RT.com]

10 March

• Crimean referendum unlawful [German Federal Government]

8 March

• Statement from the OSCE on media freedom in Ukraine [OSCE]

7 March

• Statement from Amnesty International on the human rights situation in Crimea [Amnesty International]

• Statement from the OSCE on media freedom in Ukraine [OSCE]

6 March

• Press release of Crimean Vekhovna Rada on decision to join Russia - in Russian [Verkhovna Rada Autonomous Republic of Crimea]

2 March

• William Hague: "The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine has been violated" - video [BBC]

February 2014

28 February

• Russian troops not involved in Belbek airfield block - Black Sea Fleet spokesperson [The Voice of Russia].

• Crimean speaker Konstantynov recognizes Yanukovych as incumbent president [The Voice of Russia]. 

27 February

• Crimean parliamentary speaker Vladimir Konstantinov announces May 25 referendum on greater autonomy for Crimea [Vladimir Konstantinov - YouTube]

• People of Crimea have right to express their will - Alexei Pushkov, the head of the international affairs committee of the Russian State Duma [The Voice of Russia]. 

26 February

• Responding to the Situation in Ukraine [The White House]