Crimea

[😥]

Do you recognize the annexation of the Crimea?

Crimea is: 1)Ukraine  

or
                   2)Russia?

[Tender Branson]

I think that Crimea is Russian heartland historically, but do not agree with the forceful annexation by Russia.

It's as if South Tyrol would be forcefully re-annexed by Austria ...

[PSOL]

The Tatars really gain my sympathy, they lost their home and are being harassed into a corner.

[dead0man]

The way Russia did it should have been completely unacceptable to the world, but we have no leaders with a spine in the West.

[All Along The Watchtower]

lolno

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

The Crimea is Russian and always has been.

[Helsinkian]

The Crimea is Russian and always has been.

You are full of sh**t. Crimea was only annexed into Russia in 1783.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

The Crimea is Russian and always has been.

You are full of sh**t. Crimea was only annexed into Russia in 1783.

That’s enough time to satisfy me.

[Helsinkian]

The Crimea is Russian and always has been.

You are full of sh**t. Crimea was only annexed into Russia in 1783.

That’s enough time to satisfy me.

Parts of America were part of England for 170 years. So by your logic they "had always been English". What right did they have to break away from England?

Bulgaria had "always been Turkish" (some 400 years) before she gained her independence. Would you have opposed it?

Macau was part of Portugal for nearly 450 years. It had "always been Portuguese". Should it go back to Portugal?

Scania had "always been Danish" until Sweden conquered it in the 1600s. Should it go back to Denmark?

[bgwah]

No, but I am inclined to think Crimea should be given the chance to vote in an internationally observed referendum on their status, the results of which should be recognized even if we don't necessarily like them.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Arguably Khrushchev shouldn't have transferred the Crimea to Ukraine, but that certainly was no excuse for Putin's invasion.

[Izzyeviel]

The way Russia did it should have been completely unacceptable to the world, but we have no leaders with a spine in the West.

Look at the Grief Obama got with Libya.

[Kingpoleon]

Arguably Khrushchev shouldn't have transferred the Crimea to Ukraine, but that certainly was no excuse for Putin's invasion.

Khrushchev was trying to reduce the power of the Russian navy and increase the power of his former patrons in the Ukraine.

[Karpatsky]

Funny that all the people referencing Khruschev and Catherine the Great also discount Stalin's genocide of the Crimean Tatars and argue that what is important is that there are Russian speakers there now.  By the way, if you conflate the Russian language with Russian nationality, you are falling head first for Kremlin propaganda - there is a reason the Russian language has two words for Russian (russkyy and rossiyskyy), and it is exactly because they are very different in the Eurasian context.

[😥]

Funny that all the people referencing Khruschev and Catherine the Great also discount Stalin's genocide of the Crimean Tatars and argue that what is important is that there are Russian speakers there now.  By the way, if you conflate the Russian language with Russian nationality, you are falling head first for Kremlin propaganda - there is a reason the Russian language has two words for Russian (russkyy and rossiyskyy), and it is exactly because they are very different in the Eurasian context.

[😥]

While the Crimea was Russian, the Kuban was Ukrainian .... I think you will understand it yourself

[Santander]

Crimea is Russian.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Funny that all the people referencing Khruschev and Catherine the Great also discount Stalin's genocide of the Crimean Tatars and argue that what is important is that there are Russian speakers there now.  By the way, if you conflate the Russian language with Russian nationality, you are falling head first for Kremlin propaganda - there is a reason the Russian language has two words for Russian (russkyy and rossiyskyy), and it is exactly because they are very different in the Eurasian context.

This. Furthermore, people referring to Russia as some victim of the Soviets is hilarious. Ukraine has been abused by its eastern neighbours for centuries, even experiencing a genocide at their hands, so letting Russia take Crimea from it now is unacceptable. We can't let this abuse continue in the modern age, too.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Ukraine.

The main base for peace and stability in post-WWII Europe is respect for existing borders. Crimea was Russian, but Khrushchev handed it over to Ukraine well over 50 years ago. Yes, it was within one superstate, but Crimea remained part of Ukraine during the breakup. Annexation was a naked act of aggression and as such shouldn't be recognized.

One got to wonder if going for the Budapest Memorandum was pointless from day one. Foreign guarantees of Ukraine's territorial integrity in exchange for giving up nukes proved empty.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Funny that all the people referencing Khruschev and Catherine the Great also discount Stalin's genocide of the Crimean Tatars and argue that what is important is that there are Russian speakers there now.  By the way, if you conflate the Russian language with Russian nationality, you are falling head first for Kremlin propaganda - there is a reason the Russian language has two words for Russian (russkyy and rossiyskyy), and it is exactly because they are very different in the Eurasian context.

This. Furthermore, people referring to Russia as some victim of the Soviets is hilarious. Ukraine has been abused by its eastern neighbours for centuries, even experiencing a genocide at their hands, so letting Russia take Crimea from it now is unacceptable. We can't let this abuse continue in the modern age, too.

Well, it has to be admitted Ukraine's been abused by its stronger neighbours/foreign powers centuries. Post WWI-division between USSR and Poland wasn't diffrent from partitions of Poland we like to invoke all over again. And Polish policy toward the Cossacks was both unjust as plain stupid, considered all that happened later.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The Crimea is Russian and always has been.

Sanchez, would you care to spell out more of your position on this?

[DavidB.]

It's Ukrainian. I can understand the demand for a fair referendum, but the one that took place simply wasn't.

[Former President tack50]

I'd say we kill 2 birds with one stone. Let's give Crimea to Serbia and Kosovo to Ukraine.

[Tintrlvr]

The way Russia did it should have been completely unacceptable to the world, but we have no leaders with a spine in the West.

Look at the Grief Obama got with Libya.

Obama tried on Crimea, too, but Merkel, Hollande, Cameron, etc. were not interested and were essential to any serious response.

[kelestian]

If Ukrainian authorities haven't gone full ethno-nationalistic with Yushenko and later, Crimea would be still be Ukrainian. Now, it seems, Crimea will be Russian for a long time.