The 2014 Crimean referendum is a people’s desire to return to their homeland, and not participation in someone’s “competitive games”. Such a statement was made by State Duma deputy from the Republic of Crimea Ruslan Balbek, commenting on the statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that the reunification of the peninsula with the Russian Federation allegedly became a manifestation of "competition between the great powers."

“No matter how much the USA intrigues in the international arena, they will not succeed in convincing the population of the peninsula that the desire to return to Russia was insincere. Crimeans did not associate themselves with Ukraine after the coup, they were not interested in the way to Europe, NATO and other “sweet” places for the last 30 years. They wanted to go home, and in 2014 this opportunity was provided, ”Balbek said in an interview with RT.

On Monday, August 5, Jens Stoltenberg, during a speech at the Center for Strategic Studies at Queen Victoria University in New Zealand, called superpower rivalry, terrorism, and cybercrime the main challenges facing NATO.

At the same time, according to him, it was the consequences of "competition between the great powers" that led to the fact that in 2014 Crimea became part of the Russian Federation. The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance also accused Moscow of building up military capabilities and pressure on a “rule-based world order”, as a result of which, in his opinion, the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) was terminated.

“We are witnessing an increased presence of Russia in the Middle East, in Syria, as well as Russia's attempts to intervene and undermine faith in democratic institutions in a number of NATO countries and others,” Stoltenberg added.

  • NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
  • Reuters
  • © Yves Herman

Vladislav Ganzhara, a deputy of the Republican State Council, believes that Stoltenberg’s statements are another example of “double standards” that apply in the alliance

“Today, NATO and other structures understand that the unipolar model of peace, imposed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has exhausted itself. Probably, the reunification of Crimea with Russia has become a catalyst for certain processes around the world. In fact, they still cannot accept what happened five years ago. Recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel, recognizing Kosovo as a separate subject of international relations is possible, but recognizing the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Federation, which was based on the will of the people living in Crimea, is not possible. This is a policy of double standards, to which they explain everything that is beneficial to them, in the right way and in the light. All that is unprofitable - they do not accept and are not ready to put up with this position, ”the parliamentarian said in an interview with RT.

Crimea became part of the Russian Federation following a referendum in March 2014, in which the vast majority of the inhabitants of the peninsula expressed support for reunification with Russia.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the "unacceptable" fact that Crimea was part of the Russian Federation. Speaking at a meeting of the Washington Economic Club, the diplomat said that Crimea should “return” to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in turn, noted that the head of the US State Department does not respect the democratic choice of Crimeans.

NATO Adaptation

In early July, RT reviewed the report of the NATO Defense College on the need to change the Alliance to adapt to new threats. The document says that over the past five years, the situation in the Euro-Atlantic region has become less stable and predictable, allegedly due to the actions of Russia. In particular, it mentions the “annexation of Crimea” and the buildup of military capabilities on the peninsula, the deployment of missile systems in Kaliningrad, and the “violation” of the airspace of NATO allies.

However, NATO Defense College employees in no way indicated that Moscow took these steps because of increased military activity along Russia's borders. This was stated by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, indicating that the actions undertaken by NATO near the borders of Russia have reached "an unprecedented level since the Cold War."

The report explains that the alliance was unprepared for new security conditions due to a reduction in financial resources over the course of 25 years. Meanwhile, NATO expressed pride in how the alliance shows “flexibility and solidarity,” which will further strengthen the North Atlantic bloc.

“The way NATO adapts to the situation that has developed since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 is prideful and testifies to the alliance's ability to adapt and maintain cohesion. Making informed consensus decisions, as well as carefully coordinating political will and military capabilities, can further strengthen the alliance, ”explained NATO Defense College analysts.