Russia. Crimea. History. Nikolay Starikov

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СКАЧАТЬ Republic of Crimea[106].

      • The same day Victor Yanukovich held a press conference in Rostov-on-Don. He claimed that the nationalist and pro-fascist thugs have seized the power in Ukraine, with the assistance and as a result of irresponsible policies of the West and the United States. He does not recognize the adopted by the Supreme Rada new laws – inasmuch as he has not signed them. He claimed that the Rada deputies are intimidated by the activists of the “Maidan self-defense” and militants of the “Right Sector”. Finally, he stated that the Supreme Rada is not legitimate anymore. Yanukovich also appealed to the Russian authorities to provide his personal security “from any extremists actions” – as long as he keeps on receiving personal threats[107].

      1 March 2014. President of Russia Vladimir Putin submitted to the Council of Federation an Appeal about the use of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine until the normalization of the social and political situation in the country[108]. The same day an emergency session of the upper house of the Russian Parliament unanimously supported this Presidential Appeal[109].

      3 March 2014. Crimea. The PR-department of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic Crimea issued a statement that the deputies of the Crimean parliament decided to hold the republican (local) referendum as a form of direct democracy – on the issue of amending the status and powers of the autonomy on 30 March 2014[110]. One more initiative came during this day – now from Sevastopol – about a change of the city’s legal status and about the administrative subordination of the city to the Crimean authorities directly[111].

      5 March 2014. Crimea. A Court of Kiev resolved to detain Sergey Aksenov and Vladimir Konstantinov, for whom a criminal case has opened according to the article “Actions aimed at violent change or overthrow the constitutional order or the seizure of state power”[112].

      6 March 2014. Crimea. The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea decided to join the Russian Federation as one of its subjects. It was resolved to hold a Referendum over the entire Crimean territory (including Sevastopol) – and not at the day of 30 March, but of 16 March – where to resolve the issue of the future status of the peninsula. The Referendum query presumed two possible answers:

      • “Do you support the reunification of the Crimea with Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation?” • “Do you support the restoration and putting into effect of the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea of 1992 and the status of the Crimea as part of Ukraine?”[113]

      The municipal Council of Sevastopol adopted the same day a resolution about the Referendum[114].

      • Crimea. The first deputy of the Prime Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Rustam Temirgaliev said that all Ukrainian property in Crimea would be nationalized in favor of the new authorities of the region; all private property on the territory of the peninsula will be re-registered according to the legislation of the Russian Federation. He pointed out that Crimea is ready to switch into the Ruble’s zone[115].

      7 March 2014. Crimea. The Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin stated that Russia would support “a free and democratic choice of Crimean and Sevastopol people”. The same day a delegation of the Crimean deputies had a meeting with the Speaker of the Council of Federation of Russia Valentina Matvienko. She assured that if a decision of accession of Crimea to Russia would be made, the members of the Council of Federation would support this[116].

      9 March 2014. Crimea. The first rallies supporting the accession of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation took place in Simferopol, Sevastopol, Kerch and Eupatorium. Representatives of the new Crimean authorities called on the people of the peninsula to vote for the reunification with Russia[117].

      • Crimea. As of 9 March, all Ukrainian TV channels stopped broadcasting. Instead, the Russian channels – “The First Channel”, “Russia-24”, NTV, TNT, STS, and “Russia-1” are on air. The local channel “Crimea” also continued to broadcast.

      11 March 2014. Crimea. The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Municipal Council of Sevastopol adopted a Declaration of Independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. According to it, in case of the Crimean Referendum’s decision to reunite with Russia, Crimea will be declared a sovereign Republic and – according to this international status – will re-unite with the Russian Federation as one of its subjects[118].

      13 March 2014. Crimea. The four leading political parties of Crimea adopted a Memorandum about the full cooperation in expediting of free will of Crimeans during the All-Crimean referendum. The document was signed by the head of the Crimean Regional organization of the Party of Regions Vladimir Konstantinov, the leader of the “Russian Unity” party Sergey Aksenov, Deputy Chairperson of the Crimean Regional organization of the “Union” (Soyuz) party Svetlana Savchenko, the leader of the Crimean Regional organization of the Communist Party of Ukraine Oleg Solomakhin[119].

      16 March 2014. Crimea. The Referendum was held. Participated 83.1 % of the registered voters of Crimea (without Sevastopol), around 96.77 % out of them voted for the accession of Crimea to Russia. The corresponding figures for Sevastopol were 89.5 % and 95.6 %[120]. Unparalleled surge of spirit and incredibly high turnout at the poll stations. After the end of the ballot, fests were arranged at the central squares of Sevastopol and Simferopol. Streets were overcrowded with people shouting “Russia!” and with a festive salute as a background of the whole action.

      17 March 2014. The President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the Republic of Crimea as a sovereign and independent state in which the city of Sevastopol has a special status[121].

      • Crimea. Russia provided Crimea a financial aid in the amount of 15 billion Rubles[122].

      18 March 2014. Russia and Crimea signed a Treaty about the accession of the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The signing ceremony took place in the Georgian Hall of the Kremlin. The Document was signed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, the Chairman of the State Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksenov and the municipal head of Sevastopol Alexey Chaly. Simultaneously to the accession of Crimea into the Russian Federation, there were constitutionalized two new subjects of Federation – the Republic of Crimea and a City of Federal subordination Sevastopol[123]. The State Duma adopted the appropriate federal constitutional law[124].

      • Crimea. An unknown sniper of a subversive group of the “Right Sector” has shot dead a Cossack – a member of the Crimean self-defense force – just few steps from the gates of a Ukrainian military installation. The same sniper just in seconds has also killed a Ukrainian soldier, thus instigating a confrontationСКАЧАТЬ