Crimean parliament declares independence from Ukraine

The Crimean parliament approved on March 11 a declaration of independence from the Ukrainian government with the intention of joining the Russian Federation. It was supported by 78 out of 100 MPs, as reported by the RIA Novosti news agency, citing an anonymous source in the parliament’s press service. “As a sovereign, independent state, Crimea will turn to the Russian Federation with the proposal to enter its structure as a subject after the referendum is held,” the source said. The declaration takes effect immediately and was also supported by the Sebastopol City Council.

The referendum is scheduled for March 16 and offers only two options for voters: independence from Ukraine without joining Russia or independence from Ukraine and joining Russia. To better prepare for the referendum, the Russian-backed, self-declared Crimean government has barred the entry of international and Ukrainian election observers (roads are blocked, while airports are only open to flights from Moscow), as well as replaced all Ukrainian television channels with Russian ones.

The Russian Foreign Ministry recognized on March 11 the Crimean parliament’s declaration of independence as conforming to international law, citing among numerous documents the July 22, 2010 ruling by the United Nations International Court on Kosovo’s declared independence from Serbia. The ruling concluded that the unilateral declaration of independence by a part of a state doesn’t violate any norms of international law, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s said.

The Russian State Duma intends to review on March 21 a bill to approve Crimea’s unification with Russia, said MP Viacheslav Nikonov, as reported by the RIA Novosti news agency on March 11. The legislation determines the conditions of the Russian Federation accepting new territories. “At the impossibility of signing international agreements due to the absence in a foreign state of an effective sovereign state government that would defend and uphold the rights and freedoms of its citizens, the acceptance of new territories to the Russian Federation is conducted based on the results of a referendum on the territory that expressed a desire to unite with the Russian Federation,” the bill stated.

All 28 EU member-states view Crimea’s separation from Ukraine as unacceptable based on international law, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on March 11 in Vilnius. The EU is trying to avoid a confrontation with Russia through diplomacy but will have to react to the Crimean referendum to separate from Ukraine, he said. The reaction will come at the March 17 meeting of the EU Council in the form of sanctions against Russian leaders, he said earlier.

Radical Islamists among the Crimean Tatars are preparing for military conflict with Russian invaders, reported the Financial Times on March 11, citing Crimean Tatar MP Mustafa Dzhemiliov. He said he’s been approached by radical Islamists who fought in Syria and are willing to raise arms against the Russians. The Crimean Tatars won’t sign any agreement with the Kremlin-backed Crimean government, “which isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” Dzhemiliov said. “Everything can change tomorrow.” Russian President Vladimir Putin personally invited Dzhemiliov to the Kremlin for a meeting, he said on March 11. He thinks the Russian leader will try to earn his support. Dzhemiliov said he hasn’t decided whether to attend.

Zenon Zawada: With his Crimean invasion, the Russian president has created a quagmire that will plague the Black Sea region for years to come, if not decades. A political equilibrium in Crimea had been achieved during the last decade, with ethnic Russians enjoying all cultural and linguistic rights while Crimean Tatars had minority protections offered by the Ukrainian government (though they were often inadequate, admittedly, particularly in terms of property rights). This balance has been significantly disrupted with the invasion, to the further advantage of the ethnic Russians.

In light of their experience with cultural denigration and economic discrimination, which could worsen under Russian rule, Crimean Tatar leaders are appealing to Muslim allies (both on a state and non-state level) for aid and support. The potential for conflict is large should they decide they won’t accept the Russian arrangement. Unfortunately, this instability will impact both Russian and Ukrainian geopolitics negatively.