Crimea’s reunification with Russia is an “organic” process, Serbian movie director, Emir Kusturica, told journalists in Yalta, saying, that those living on the Peninsula do not need approval from abroad to build their lives as part of Russia.
“There are forces in the world that divide but on the other side there are [forces that] unite,” the award winning film director and musician, said before staging a concert with his group, The No Smoking Orchestra.
“When Crimea became part of Russia, I thought it had always been Russia…There was no war here, there was a referendum where people said: ‘We want to live with Russia.’ It is an organic process,” Kusturica said.
He noted that people on the peninsula are part of the country and that they basically did what they “should have done” when voting “YES” during the referendum in March of 2014.
The Serb pointed out that Crimean lifestyle and culture serves as “proof that you are Russia.”
Locals in Crimea should now focus on building their lives as part of the country without waiting for international recognition of Crimea’s ascension, he advised.
“You must do what you are doing, [building] a huge airport, good motorways, infrastructure, and Crimea will be beautiful… and your life will be in your hands. It doesn’t matter what they think [in the West],” he said.
Crimea became part of the Russian Empire back in the 18th century but was reassigned to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954 by the Soviet Union’s ruling presidium.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Crimea became an autonomous region in Ukraine. Following the 2014 coup in Kiev, Crimeans voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to rejoin Russia. Their decision has not been recognized by Western powers.
In April, president Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson said Moscow won’t “trade” Crimea for lifting sanctions imposed by the West on Moscow over the reunification.
“The very idea of conducting a second referendum in Crimea contradicts the fundamental principles of today’s Russian policy,” Dmitry Peskov, said.
In February last year, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that even if Moscow agrees to hold another referendum, its results would be also challenged by the west under a new pretext in order to maintain tense relations with Russia.
Let’s hear it from someone who knows what is going on. Lada is from that region. We must feel sorry for the average Ukrainian who cannot get out. On the other hand, the Ukrainian Nazis have a chance to demonstrate that they can actually govern for the benefit of all. They’ll fail mainly because their philosophy of hatred and separation of the races is a flawed and primitive philosophy with no future. There are no races ye eejits; it’s all in your heads.
Stampede to get out of Ukraine and into Poland! The video below is self-explanatory. This is happening on the border between Ukraine and Poland, the moment 90-day visa-free regime (Ukr/Rus: ‘bezviz’ = ‘without visa’) between EU and Ukraine comes into effect. The voice behind the camera repeatedly speaks in Ukrainian: “Look, Mr. Poroshenko, this is what our Euro-integration / bezviz looks like.”
As I explained since 2014, after the Kiev junta and ukro-nazis came to power, what little talent, brains and active population was still left in Ukraine, has been leaving. Millions moved to Russia. Anywhere between 6 and 8 million either work and live in Russia or have received Russian citizenship between 1991 and 2017. At least 1.5-2 million became refugees in Russia after Poroshenko junta came to power. Up to 3-4 million also left to the EU and US. This process greatly intensified after 2014 Kiev Maidan.
Poroshenko made a dog and pony show of the simple 90 day visa free tourist travel, allowed by the EU as of June 2017, portraying it as his huge victory and great achievement of Maidan. He and his cronies tout visa-free with the EU as a demonstration that “Ukraine is rejoining Europe, and finally severing all ties with Russia.” “We are finally getting away from the unwashed Russia and rejoining the civilized Europe,” proclaimed the drunk Poroshenko from the podium in Kiev, where thousands of students and state workers were herded, dressed in same T-shirts with EU flag and waiving mini-EU flags they were handed out.
It has been noted by all Ukrainian analysts, even those who were initially pro-Maidan, that the vast majority of Ukrainians cannot afford to travel as tourists to the EU on their measly salaries. The only real value of the EU visa-free travel is to pretend you are a tourist, but use your 90 days to latch on to a job so you could remain permanently.
As you see on the video, the crowd is crossing to Poland on foot – to save money. They probably have low-paying jobs, such as agriculture, taking care of the elderly and working as janitors, awaiting for them on the other side. Polish slave drivers and low-paying-jobs brokers are eager to get their hands on this new wave of slave labor for the EU.
Some, who have better prospects, better education or who are younger and bolder, may leave by train or bus to Central and Western Europe. Therefore, the remainder of the most able-bodied, active, highest chi and best skilled population is leaving Ukraine at even a faster rate than ever before.
Since 1992, when Ukraine first acquired independence after the collapse of the USSR, without a major war, it lost a huge chunk of the population. The census of 1993 registered the population of Ukraine as 54 million. As you’ll see below, the new data suggests the population of Ukraine now shrunk by more than half!
Due to the catastrophic loss of the population the new census has been a taboo. In today’s fascist Ukraine it is literally forbidden to research and voice out the truth about the population loss. The official numbers are grossly overstated and bluntly falsified.
Recently, the last remaining in Ukraine decent economists, such as Natalia Vitrenko, leader of the outlawed and prosecuted Progressive Socialist Party (+ a few others), have calculated the true state of events. They based their data on the consumption of bread – an important staple in both Russia and Ukraine, as well as nearby Moldova.
Bread, note Vitrenko and others, is so inexpensive and such a big staple, that when people cannot afford anything else, they’ll still buy bread. Other data, such as alcohol, meat, or fruit consumption is unreliable as people can use their gardens, illegal alcohol, etc., when they become poorer. But very few will bake their own bread as it requires a large usage of natural gas and electricity — both very expensive and in short supply in today’s Ukraine. Therefore, people would still buy bread in stores due to its relative cheapness and good quality.
Since Russian bread consumption per capita is known and it stands around 42 kilos per capita per year, based on that it is easy to calculate how much bread would be consumed in the very similar Ukrainian culture. In fact, notes Vitrenko, Russian bread consumption per capita should be lower than Ukrainian, as Russians make 3-4 times more money per capita and can afford a large variety of foods; additionally, Russians have been living a much more satisfied and healthy lifestyles than Ukrainians, which also lowers bread consumption.
Yet, the official data puts bread consumption in Ukraine at 24 kilos per capita per year. This is based on the falsified official population count of 42 million. The official Kiev explains that by saying that Ukrainians buy less and bake more. However, as I pointed out above, it is impossible for the majority as the gas and electricity are unaffordably expensive.
And then the question is: if Ukrainians eat a lot less bread, a lot less meat and fruit, drink a lot less alcohol per capita compared to 2013 — then what do they eat?
Instead of the falsified official Ukrainian data of 24 kilos per capita, Vitrenko and other economists used Russian bread consumption base number of 42 kilos per capita per year to set the record straight.
**I should mention that Kiev still counts the population of Crimea and LDPR as their own. In other words, they bomb Donbass and threaten to invade Crimea / sabotage its economy, yet they count them as parts of Ukraine. Crimean population is 2.3 million and LDPR’s is about 3.6 million. Altogether — minus 5.9 million.
Having subtracted Crimea and LDPR populations, and based on the bread consumption per capita, Vitrenko and others have arrived at 25-26 million people remaining in Ukraine. This is down from 54 million in 1993 — without WWIII! This is the loss of over 1/2 of the entire population!
Incidentally, please recall that I have been predicting this catastrophic outcome since 2014!
Poroshenko and his cronies must be totally dumb, you may say. Instead of making life in Ukraine better for ordinary people so they would want to remain and build a life for themselves in their own country, they open the floodgates, basically telling people to run to the EU.
Poroshenko is not exactly dumb. He is smart enough to hang on to power all this time, manipulating his Western sponsors and various ukro-nazi forces. And he is smart enough to multiply his fortune more than 7-fold since 2014, while his country is dying.
In fact, Poroshenko is two things in one wrapper:
1. Oligarch who is sucking the last remaining juices from Ukraine using his position as president. Bezviz (visa-free to the EU) is one of Poroshenko’s populist moves to get elected for the next term, despite his catastrophically low approval rating. Premature elections may be scheduled in Ukraine as early as October 2017, well ahead of normal schedule. Poroshenko knows he can only continue robbing his country blind, getting fat of the people’s tragedy of he remains in power.
Recall what I said EARTH SHIFT REPORT 3 OLIGARCH WARS – ever since Kiev Maidan, all Ukraine oligarchs lost money and some are near, or in, bankruptcy. All, except Poroshenko.
2. US Deep State and globalist cabal agent, who does what he is told to do. He takes orders directly from the US – OK, maybe also a few from Germany/EU. If you think something has changed since Trump was elected — think again.
If you think I am just saying that – you know I never do that. My intel tells me that there are between 800 and 900 US advisers working in Kiev and whispering stuff into Poroshenko’s ear, including CIA, military, economic, political and more.
According to my local Kiev intel, there also are — very sadly — Bulgarian advisers. This seems to be a newer addition, just showing how sold out the Bulgarian government really is. My conclusion is that Bulgarian advisers are sent to Kiev by their US bosses for the same reason Ukraine had to be subverted: to deepen and enlarge the rift between Russia and those countries that are closest to her culturally. In the past 3 years there have been ongoing protests and discontent in Bulgaria about NATO bases and US presence, while Russian business and tourism left. There has been an aspiration in Bulgaria to get back closer to Russia. The population of Bulgaria is being gradually remolded to forget its history, roots and Slavic cultural affinities — in order to reorient it slowly but surely towards the West.
The same process is happening in the Balkans small countries, such as Montenegro and FYRO Macedonia. The goal in all cases is to push out any naturally occurring cultural closeness to Russia and Russian influence, replacing it with everything Western.
Ukraine is the biggest victim of the yang aggressive West. We discuss how the yang West operates, what Russia the Great Balancer is trying to do and what is The Great Earth Shift in my new EARTH SHIFT WEBINAR INVERTED COLLAPSE.
But not all is sad and depressing. We have a huge and bold breakthrough in Moldova, which is turning back to its roots, although the struggle will continue for some time. The new president of Moldova Igor Dodon has made a big splash by explaining during St. Petersburg Economic Forum how the West tried to subvert and enslave his country. More on that soon – stay tuned!
On this episode of “Watching the Hawks” Tyrel Ventura and Tabetha Wallace look at the DEA’s over 3 billion dollar money making machine addiction to Civil Asset Forfeiture. Then Tabetha breaks down how much unreplaceable water is wasted in the industrial food creation business. Next, Sean Stone sits down with the former stockbroker turned meth dealer and now prison reform activist Shaun Attwood to discuss just how ridiculous the U.S. prison system is. Finally, Watching The Hawks applauds the record breaking spacewalk by female astronaut Peggy Whitson.
March 18 marks the third anniversary of Crimea’s reunification with Russia following the referendum held two days earlier. Crimean native Armen Martoyan, who actively participated in the events of 2014, told Sputnik how he was blocking the airport, where the Ukrainian special forces had gone and how the Crimeans met Poroshenko.
On March 18, 2014, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea signed an agreement on the accession of the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation.
The document, which was signed in the Kremlin, “is based on the free and voluntary expression of will by the peoples of Crimea at a nationwide referendum, held in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on March 16, 2014, during which the people of Crimea made the decision to reunite with Russia,”‘ reads the statement on the official website of the Russian President.
Crimean residents at the railway station in Simferopol marking a holiday as clocks are moved to Moscow time
Preparations for the referendum started at the end of February after the waning of the Ukrainian revolt, known as Euromaidan. The peaceful voting on the peninsular was secured by the Russian military, nicknamed the “Polite People” for their professional behavior. And the developments preceding and following the referendum earned the name the “Crimean Spring.”
Sputnik sat down to talk with Crimean resident Armen Martoyan, who took part in the events of 2014 under the call sign “Samvel” and whom the Ukrainian journalists had labelled the “Special Agent of the Kremlin.”
He told Sputnik how he was blocking the airport, where the Ukrainian special forces had gone, how the Crimeans met Poroshenko and how he slapped the Ukrainian “radical” deputy Oleh Lyashko in the face.
Martoyan said that he is sure that if not for Russia, there would have been a different scenario for the Crimeans: instead of the victorious Crimean Spring the republic would have got bogged down in a “Crimean war.”
Simferopol Airport
Armen was one of the first to enlist into the movement on the defense of the peninsula back in February 2014. His first job was to block the airport in the city of Simferopol, where, according to intercepted data, a unit of the Ukrainian special forces and the radicals from the Ukrainian Right Sector nationalist party were due to arrive.
Extras on the set of Alexei Pimanov’s film “Crimea” at the train station in Simferopol
The Ukrainian servicemen were supposed to quell the “rebelling” Crimean politicians.
“We had to block the airport’s runway at any cost, with any means at hand – barrels, pallets, tires, to prevent any Ukrainian military jet from landing in Crimea. And they were flying in,” he told Sputnik.
He further recalled that he gathered around 140 people who arrived at the airport just with shields and spade handles. Just a few hunters had guns.
His group arrived at the airfield to take part in the operation which was coordinated by Mikhail Sheremet, a commander of the Crimean Self Defense Forces and which, without the support of the “Polite People” could have ended in bloodshed.
Unidentified armed men patrol outside of Simferopol airport, on February 28, 2014
“At a certain moment we heard the rumble of military trucks. When they arrived, heavily armed men without insignia started disembarking. We understood that they were the Russian special forces and started to applaud. Some were even crying with joy,” the serviceman recalls.
After the full takeover of the airport under the control of the group, he was ordered to take over the traffic controller’s room and further control all the arrivals and departures.
Meeting Poroshenko and Slapping Lyashko
All regular flights from Kiev were canceled during the Crimean Spring. Only charter flights were let in.
“I saw a very small dot on the traffic controller’s monitor – a charter aircraft entered Crimean airspace. It was Poroshenko on board. I was ordered to let it land,” he told Sputnik,
However Poroshenko didn’t stay there long as he was forced to flee from Crimeans who bombarded him with eggs, he added.
Another brief guest on Crimean soil was Oleh Lyashko, the leader of the Ukrainian Radical Party.
Members of the Crimean self defense forces check passengers at the main railway station in Simferopol, Ukraine, Friday, March 14, 2014
“After his landing, I came up to him and asked him to remain calm, wait in the VIP-hall until he is provided with a car to the city. However he answered with propagandistic speeches and threats. I lost patience and slapped him in the face. He fell on the sofa. When he came to his senses, he asked in Russian when could he leave back to Kiev,” Martoyan said.
He further said that he is proud to be connected to the events of the Crimean Spring, that he did not shrink back from the decisive moment when the future of millions of people were at stake.
“My grandfather fought in Crimea during the Second World War, in the 89th Infantry Rifle Division, Tamanskaya Division. He was wounded twice during a battle in the city of Kerch (east of Crimea). I know that I had not let him down. He would have been very pleased with his grandson who refused to let neo-fascists to set foot on Crimean soil,” he told Sputnik.
He further revealed that one Ukrainian oligarch offered 200,000 euro reward for his head. However he believes that his devotion to Crimea and the Crimean people is priceless.
If he had a chance to return to the past, he would not think twice and would do exactly the same, he finally concluded.
Dumbass Americans, what part of 96.8% of Crimeans wanted to rejoin Russia don’t you understand? This is what democracy looks like ye bloody imperialists.
“Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17, 2014 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum, in which 96.8 percent of participants voted in favor of the move.”
US State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner answers reporters’ questions on March 7, 2017. (AFP photo)
The United States has once again condemned Russia’s reunification with Crimea in 2014, vowing to maintain related sanctions until Moscow returns the strategic Black Sea peninsula to Ukraine.
US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner urged Russia on Thursday to immediately end its “occupation” of Crimea and accused Moscow of committing human rights violations there.
“The United States again condemns the Russian occupation of Crimea and calls for its immediate end. Our Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine,” Toner said in an official statement.
“We call on Russia to cease its attempts to suppress freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and religion,” he added.
Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17, 2014 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum, in which 96.8 percent of participants voted in favor of the move.
“The United States does not recognize Russia’s ‘referendum’ of March 16, 2014, nor its attempted annexation of Crimea and continued violation of international law,” said Toner.
Senior members of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet, including US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, have publicly denounced Russian “occupation of the peninsula.”
Trump, who has called for better relations between the Kremlin and the White House, said prior to his election victory that “The people of Crimea, from what I’ve heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were.”
A woman holding a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a rally marking the third anniversary of Crimea voting to leave Ukraine and rejoin Russia in central Simferopol on March 16, 2017. (AFP photo)
After Crimea rejoined Russia, an armed conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine when Kiev launched military operations to quell similar pro-Russia sentiments there. Kiev accuses Moscow of involvement in the conflict, a charge Russia has denied.
The US and its Western allies have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over its reunification with Crimea and the Ukrainian crisis, which has killed about 10,000 people since it began in 2014.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the possibility that Crimea could be returned to Ukraine under some sort of deal with the United States.
The Trump administration (including Trump himself) have highly mixed messages on Russia. Will Trump deliver on his election promise to be friendly towards Russia?
Mixed messages on Russia
are coming out of the Trump administration, which seems to be hopelessly divided and anything but cohesive on the Russian issue. Much to the great disappointment of many who see that a peaceful US-Russia relationship is the key to avoiding World War 3, Trump has for the most part changed his tune on Russia … sort of. At today’s press conference he again stressed the need for a good relationship with Russia. Yet, only yesterday on Feb. 15th 2017, Trump himself put out a tweet that alleged that Russia took Crimea and asked if Obama was too soft on Russia? So which is it? Has Trump done a big U-Turn on Russia? Here is a list of the mixed messages on Russia coming out of the current US government.
Mixed Messages on Russia #1: Trump Claims Russia “Stole” Crimea
In his press interview with Theresa May, Trump ludicrously claimed he was in general consistent with his positions and didn’t flip flop or change his stance. Given how inconsistent he has been, that is quite false, and now we have another giant flip flop. The Deep State, the Military Intelligence Complex (MIC), the Zionists, the neocons or whoever else have evidently got to Trump who has now tweeted (above) that “Crimea was TAKEN by Russia” (Trump’s emphasis in capital letters). What!? Why is Trump revisiting this point when independent observers established that the Crimean people voted 96% to return to Russia in a legal referendum?
Mixed Messages on Russia #2: Trump Insists US Needs a Good Relationship with Russia
At the above-linked press conference (Feb. 16th 2017), Trump said:
“If Russia and the United States actually got together and got along – and don’t forget: we’re a very powerful nuclear country and so are they … I’ve been briefed. And I can tell you one thing about a briefing that we’re allowed to say, because anybody that ever read the most basic book can say it, nuclear holocaust would be like no other … If we have a good relationship with Russia, believe me, that’s a good thing. Not a bad thing.”
Conflicting views and mixed messages on Russia inside the Trump admin. Credit: UK Telegraph
Mixed Messages on Russia #3: Trump Sacks his National Security Advisor Michael Flynn
In one of the first shocks of the fledgling Trump Administration, Michael Flynn was fired by President Trump himself after it was revealed that he had allegedly broken the 1799 Logan Act by discussing sanctions and other matters with Russian Ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, back in December 2016. However, when is breaking the Logan Act such a big deal, especially when you consider all the NWO insiders who gather at Bilderberg every year to discuss all sorts of sensitive national matters and policy behind closed doors?
The allegations may not be true. The FBI cleared Flynn by stating that he was “cooperative and provided truthful answers”. Strangely, Flynn was not allowed to review the call log and clear himself … which indicates that this affair may have been some kind of a coup. The Post and Courier reports:
“When Flynn was attacked in the media for his ties to Russia, he was not allowed by the White House to defend himself. Over the weekend, he was instructed not to speak to the press when he was in the fight for his political life. His staff was not even allowed to review the transcripts of his call to the Russian ambassador.”
Flynn was known to be friendly towards Russia. Was the framing and firing of Flynn (brought about by the MSM which published the leaks and called for his head) part of a grander NWO strategy to remove Russophilic or Russia-friendly elements from the new Trump Administration? Yes, Flynn was vehemently anti-Iran, so the NWO lost someone pushing for war with Iran, but is it more geopolitically significant for them to generate further fear and hatred against Russia than Iran at this stage? Let’s face it, there is already a lot of anti-Iran sentiment among Trump’s cabinet and staff.
Mixed Messages on Russia #4: Tillerson’s Comments: Russia is a Danger
Another manifestation and reflection of the inconsistency of Donald Trump’s positions and policies is the degree to which his entire administration is divided on the Russia issue. This was evident quite early on. Trump himself seems to be the only one remaining who is for Russia now that Flynn has ignominiously departed.
For instance, when Rex Tillerson, nominated for Secretary of State, was at his Senate confirmation hearing, he referred to Russia as a danger. However, Tillerson is known for his closeness with Russia, having being awarded the “Order of Friendship” by Putin in 2013, so he knew he would have had to have said some strong words about Russia to appease the overwhelmingly Russophobic US Senate.
Mixed Messages on Russia #5: Mattis’ Comments: Russia is Top Threat
Mad Dog Mattis, at his Senate confirmation hearing to become Secretary of Defense, said he placed Russia first among all threats:
“The most important thing is that we recognize the reality of what we deal with Mr. Putin, and that we recognize that he is trying to break the North Atlantic Alliance, and that we take the integrated steps – diplomatic, economic, military – and the alliance steps, working with our allies, to defend ourselves where we must.”
Mixed Messages on Russia #6: Haley’s Comments: We Condemn Russia
Nikki Haley lost no time in using her inaugural address to the UN to condemn Russia, and posted her comments on Twitter (above) to please her masters. She also said the following at her Senate confirmation hearing:
“Russia is trying to show their muscle right now. It’s what they do … I don’t think we can trust them. We have to continue to be very strong back, and show them what this new administration is going to be.”
Mixed Messages on Russia #7: Pompeo’s Comments: Russia Hacked US
Meanwhile, new CIA head Mike Pompeo seems to have his head in the clouds by buying the official line that Russia hacked the US presidential elections. Does everyone at the CIA, both current and incoming staff, really believe this fairy tale? Pompeo said:
“With respect to this report in particular, it’s pretty clear about what took place here, about Russian involvement in efforts to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy … this was an aggressive action taken by senior leadership inside of Russia.”
The US has a choice: side with Russia and stop funding strife in Ukraine, or keep supporting the illegitimate government of Ukraine a la John McCain.
Mixed Messages on Russia #8: Trump’s Own Plans re: Syria
Finally, another confusing aspect has been Trump’s plans in Syria. Will he work with Russia (as he has suggested in the past) or not? Russia responded to his idea a few weeks ago of safe zones inside Syria, replying that he must have the consent of the Syrian Government under Bashar Al-Assad. However safe zones have been a trick used in the past by NATO et al in their “humanitarian” attacks and invasions of sovereign nations.
Is Trump trying to appease those around him, including the massive apparatus of the MIC? Or is he strong enough in his convictions about the importance of good relations with Russia? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
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Makia Freeman is the editor of alternative media / independent news siteThe Freedom Articles and senior researcher at ToolsForFreedom.com, writing on many aspects of truth and freedom, from exposing aspects of the worldwide conspiracy to suggesting solutions for how humanity can create a new system of peace and abundance.
Yo stupid yanks, what part of ,”Over 90% of Crimeans voted to remain in Russia”, don’t you understand? Following your failed and pathetc reasoning, you should return Texas to Mexico forthwith. Then we’ll take you seriously. Also, why are you meddling in foreign nations affairs? Don’t you have things to do at home, like fixing your infrastructure,etc? It’s none of your business! Pathetic imperialist warmongers!
Russia won’t give Crimea back to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in response to White House comments that Donald Trump expects Moscow to “return” the peninsular.
“We don’t return our territories. Crimea is a territory of the Russian Federation,” Zakharova said at a weekly news briefing on current foreign policy issues.
On Tuesday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that US President Donald Trump has been tough on Russia and expects Moscow to “return” Crimea to Ukraine.
“President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea,” Spicer said. “At the same time, he fully expects to – and wants to – get along with Russia.”
Earlier in February, the Trump-appointed ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, strongly denounced “the Russian occupation” in Crimea.
“Crimea is a part of Ukraine. Our Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine,” Haley said.
Crimea became part of the Russian Empire back in the 18th century, but was reassigned to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954 by the Soviet Union’s ruling presidium. Following the 2014 coup in Kiev, Crimeans overwhelmingly voted in a referendum to rejoin Russia.
The majority of those living in Crimea today are ethnic Russians – almost 1,200,000 or around 58.3 percent of the population, according to the last national census conducted back in 2001. Some 24 percent are Ukrainians (around 500,000) and 12 percent are Crimean Tatars.
