DISINFO: Crimea returned to Russia after a referendum

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

DISINFO: Crimea returned to Russia after a referendum

SUMMARY

It is noteworthy that Russian-Western relations deteriorated due to the Ukrainian crisis, and the return of Crimea to Russia in March 2014, after a popular referendum.

RESPONSE

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attempting to blame the deterioration in relations between Russia and the West exclusively on Ukraine, ignoring the reasons which led to the deterioration of these relations and the implementation of sanctions.

The West and specifically the EU has imposed restrictive measures, including sectoral sanctions, due to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's destabilising actions in eastern Ukraine.

Furthermore, no international body recognises the so-called “popular referendum” in Crimea, not even the UN nor the EU.

The international community, including the European Union, recognises and condemns clear violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014.

Read similar claims in our database such as Crimea’s reunification with Russia was legal; or that the Western-backed coup in Ukraine has torn the country asunder; or that Crimea, Donbas separated from Ukraine after a Nazi coup in Kyiv; or that 96% of Crimean people wanted to rejoin Russia; or that only Ukraine is responsible for civil war in Donbas; or that Crimea democratically joined Russia after the overthrow of Yanukovych.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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