How Moscow will again try to "legitimize" Crimea annexation

The Russian propagandistic media outlet "RIA Novosti" recently published an article on its website with the provocative title "Parliament of Crimea: the transfer of the Ukrainian SSR peninsula was not legally formalized." The article highlights a statement made by Vladimir Konstantinov, the self-proclaimed "head of the Crimean parliament," claiming that the process of transferring Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954 was not legally formalized and can be canceled with little effort.

The announcement from the "Crimean authorities" regarding the initiation of discussions on revoking the decision to transfer the Ukrainian SSR peninsula appears dubious. It is evident that such statements would not have been made by individuals like Konstantinov or Aksyonov, who are known as Putin's puppets, without explicit instructions from Moscow. It is well-known that Crimea holds immense significance for Putin, almost revered, and losing control over the Ukrainian peninsula would be seen as a grave blow to the criminal assets he has amassed in Ukraine since 2014, from the point of view of his Kremlin accomplices.

Why would Putin himself seek to legitimize his crimes when the international community, apart from a few political vassals, does not recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation? Despite Moscow's extensive efforts, the Kremlin is aware that they will eventually be compelled to relinquish Crimea. This realization prompts the deployment of new geopolitical tactics.

Hence, the verbal maneuvers employed by Vladimir Konstantinov, following the instructions of his Moscow superiors. "We have outlined our claims. Upon careful examination of this matter, it becomes evident that we never departed from the composition of the Russian Federation, whose borders remained unchanged since 1954 and, therefore, in 2014 as well. Thus, the process of our inclusion and transfer not only blatantly disregarded the political will of the Crimeans but also lacked legal formalization," stated Konstantinov. He further mentioned that "the preparation of a rationale to revoke the decision on Crimea's transfer to the Ukrainian SSR will not require much time."

If Konstantinov has no intention of pursuing a lawsuit regarding Crimea in the Basmanny Court of Moscow, then why does he even raise the matter? It is legally impossible to retroactively annul a decision made nearly 70 years ago in the defunct USSR.

“If Konstantinov has no intention of pursuing a lawsuit regarding Crimea in the Basmanny Court of Moscow, then why does he even raise the matter? It is legally impossible to retroactively annul a decision made nearly 70 years ago in the defunct USSR”

As Moscow contemplates the legal implications of the "illegal and criminal" 1867 sale of Alaska to the United States, Konstantinov is gearing up to replicate history.

According to the "head of the Crimean parliament," they are faced with a significant number of blatant and egregious violations. These violations are not convoluted legal intricacies requiring extensive proof. The magnitude of these violations leaves us questioning how they were allowed to occur. Nonetheless, they did take place, he emphasized. He further stated that the bodies responsible for transferring Crimea from one republic to another lacked the authority to do so.

"The Supreme Soviets of the republics did not make any decision regarding the transfer. Furthermore, the borders of the union republics were not discussed or defined after the relocation of Crimea, which is a pivotal aspect in the preparation of such a decision. Not to mention the fact that no referendums were held, as mandated by the Constitution of the USSR. These are merely a fraction of the violations committed. Based on these grounds, Crimea is considered part of Russia according to the legislation in force until 1954 and has never separated," Konstantinov believes.

However, if Putin has included Crimea as part of Russia in the constitution of the Russian Federation, then what is the issue? It appears that Moscow is now attempting to fabricate legal justifications for Crimea's inclusion within the Russian Federation, intending to present this "irrefutable evidence" in international courts or in the courts of states that view the tyrant as a strategic partner and friend. While these countries are few in number, they do exist.

It is not unlikely that, in the interest of "objectivity," Konstantinov and his accomplices in Moscow may simultaneously file lawsuits regarding Crimea's ownership in the courts of Belarus, Serbia, and Hungary, for example.

“It is not unlikely that, in the interest of "objectivity," Konstantinov and his accomplices in Moscow may simultaneously file lawsuits regarding Crimea's ownership in the courts of Belarus, Serbia, and Hungary”

It is evident that Putin will likely find support from Lukashenko, Aleksandar Vučić, and Viktor Orban, who will not oppose him. However, Orbán will strategically hold such a trial outside the capital Budapest, possibly in cities like Pecs, Miskolc, or Kaposvár, to avoid scrutiny.

Subsequently, armed with the decision on Crimea from their Hungarian, Belarusian, or Serbian allies, Putin's mouthpiece Peskov or his minister of international propaganda, Lavrov, will boast in front of the global media. They will argue that international courts also recognize Crimea as Russian territory, emphasizing the binding nature of these court decisions.

Viktor Orbán, once seen as a "champion of peace" on Putin's terms, has so deeply entangled himself in overt support for the Russian Federation that he no longer concerns himself with the opinions of the West and the international community.

In line with this, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijártó, will disseminate the following statements around the world: "There is no longer any question about the ownership of Crimea since multiple court rulings in various countries have irrevocably established it as Russian territory. We should not revisit this issue as it no longer exists. Our primary focus now is to urgently end the war in Ukraine. We seek peace, and if the world would heed Hungary's peace initiatives instead of recklessly arming Ukraine, we could have achieved peace long ago."

“Putin may seek decisions from foreign courts regarding Ukrainian Crimea to challenge the rulings of the International Criminal Court in The Hague and other similar international organizations”

It appears that Putin may seek decisions from foreign courts regarding Ukrainian Crimea to challenge the rulings of the International Criminal Court in The Hague and other similar international organizations.

Subsequently, he may attempt to garner support from certain African and Latin American countries to portray Ukraine's claims to its internationally recognized territory occupied by Russia as "legally illegitimate."

There is a sense that Putin's revisionists, inspired by Konstantinov's initiative, are preparing to reassess and modify previous treaties and decisions made during the Soviet Union era to align with their desired outcomes.

Despite being complete nonsense, some "experts" in Russia have already begun asserting that references to old treaties on "friendship and cooperation" are absurd, as these agreements were signed during a different era. They argue that since Ukraine has become an unfriendly state and pursued a NATO course, these agreements should be denounced. They advocate for the cancellation of the "land transfer" or the identification of violations, of which they claim there were many. According to them, such actions would be justified.

“There is a possibility that Putin's illogical Crimean initiative marks the beginning of a new aggressive campaign. The ultimate goal could be to completely deny the collapse of the USSR and declare the sovereignty of all newly independent states as illegal”

Another expert, commenting on Konstantinov's initiative, emphasizes the need to treat every post-Soviet republic in a similar manner. Failure to do so could lead to arrogance on their part and complacency on ours. When the Soviet Union dissolved, we agreed to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as there were no treaties with NATO or the EU at that time, despite their proximity. It is crucial to recognize the Belovezha conspiracy as legally null and void, as there were no legitimate grounds for it, neither from our allies nor on an international level. It raises questions about whether the Russian leadership will realize that displaying weakness and adopting an overly soft policy, relying on goodwill gestures, grain deals, and fear of damaging relations, only leads to escalation and unpredictable risks.

There is a possibility that Putin's illogical Crimean initiative marks the beginning of a new aggressive campaign. The ultimate goal could be to completely deny the collapse of the USSR and declare the sovereignty of all newly independent states as illegal. It can be predicted that Russian officials will soon initiate a legal examination of the Belovezha Accords on the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and it is highly likely that they will manipulate the legal "conclusions" and "results" to suit their agenda.

Considering all of this, it suggests that after the likely annexation of Belarus, which Moscow is clearly preparing for, Putin may attempt to forcefully join the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. Given his penchant for providing a "legal justification" for his illegal actions, all the pieces start falling into place.

“After the likely annexation of Belarus, which Moscow is clearly preparing for, Putin may attempt to forcefully join the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. Given his penchant for providing a "legal justification" for his illegal actions, all the pieces start falling into place”

It appears that Konstantinov's actions are merely the initial step towards the Kremlin's plan to undermine international support for Ukraine on the matter of Crimea. Their motivation stems from the claim that the absence of unanimity on the issue and the involvement of courts outside of Russia cast doubt on the objectivity and fairness of their decisions.

Vladimir Konstantinov, a puppet of Putin, employs a distorted "logic" to support his argument. According to him, Italy could now assert its ownership over half of Europe based on the historical control exerted by the Roman army. Similarly, Turkey could lay claim to the Crimean Peninsula since it was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire until the late 18th century when Russia seized control.

Although not explicitly stated, it is evident that Putin has initiated a new strategy concerning Crimea, aiming to manipulate the situation surrounding this Ukrainian region. His objective is to provoke further debate on the Crimean issue. This game can persist until the Ukrainian Armed Forces decisively resolve the matter through the deoccupation of Crimea and the expulsion of all Moscow-backed elements from its territory, thereby bringing a definitive conclusion to the issue.

Source

About the author. Viktor Kaspruk, journalist

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.