Discussion of Crimea's Recent Annexation to Russia

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I. Introduction

This essay will discuss Crimea’s recent annexation to Russia, which has caused much international discourse. The annexation and subsequent occurrences reveal key actors’ political motivations and policies. This essay notes that the Crimean annexation is a multifaceted issue that involves many actors, including the United States and many non-state actors. However, this essay will focus on the European region.

First, this essay will briefly summarise relevant historical factors. Second, it will discuss the Ukrainian position and its options following the violation of its sovereignty. Third, it explains Russia’s motivations for it’s anti-western actions and finally, we discuss European policy. This essay will argue that given historical and geopolitical factors, Crimea’s annexation is not entirely extraordinary. More extraordinary, is Russia’s dismissal of international laws and the sovereignty of the state. The Crimean predicament illustrates an ideological struggle between autocracy and the democratic Western world. It highlights the gap between liberalism and realism; particularly where the two systems try to operate in an entirely interdependent but anarchical world structure.

II. Historical information and the current situation

Dispute regarding the status of the Autonomous Region of Crimea may be traced back centuries. In the mid-1990s Crimea was deemed to be a ‘potential centre of unrest’ (Sasse, 2007), although such instability did not culminate. In the transitional period following the Cold War, Crimea eventually assimilated into Ukrainian polity with minimal conflict (Sasse, 2007). Despite assimilation, the majority of Crimean people viewed themselves as Russian (BBC News, 2014). Along with strong et...

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Polityuk, P & MacDonald, A, ‘Russia says it will respond if Ukraine interests attacked’, Reuters UK, 23 April 2014, accessed at .

Sasse, G, ‘The Crimea Question: Identity, Transition, and Conflict’, Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, 2007.

Vasovic, A & Croft, A, ‘U.S., EU set sanctions as Putin recognises Crimea “sovereignty”’, 17 March 2014, accessed at < http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/17/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSBREA1Q1E820140317>.

Ziabari, K, ‘The Crimean Crisis and U.S. Hypocrisy. “War of Words” to Justify Outright Aggression’, Global Research, accessed at < http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-crimean-crisis-and-us-hypocrisy-war-of-words-to-justify-outright-aggressions/5375928>.

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