“Frank interference in internal affairs”: how Russia answered the call of NATO to transfer Crimea to Ukraine

Russian politicians and diplomats were skeptical about calls by the NATO leadership to transfer control of the Crimean peninsula to Kiev, voiced the day before in a joint statement by the NATO-Ukraine commission. So, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in an interview with URA.RU called such requirements pointless, adding that later the agency would officially respond to this passage.

“Such statements are just a shake of air. The position of Russia and reality are well known to everyone, ”Zakharova emphasized.

Moscow repeatedly reminded its Western colleagues that the peninsula reunited with Russia following a referendum on the status of Crimea, in which more than 96.5% of the region’s people supported this scenario. However, in Ukraine and in Western countries, the results of a plebiscite are not yet recognized.

The fact that the issue of ownership of the peninsula was decided by the residents themselves and closed was noted both in Moscow and in the Crimea. Nevertheless, at a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine commission in Kiev, the alliance again called on the Russian side.

“We urge Russia to regain control of Crimea over Ukraine ... There can be no business as usual until there is a clear, constructive change in Russia's actions that will comply with international law and fulfill international obligations,” the document says .

In a joint statement, the Russian authorities are also unfoundedly accused of alleged “human rights violations and abuses” in Ukraine against Ukrainian citizens, Crimean Tatars, and representatives of other local communities. In this regard, NATO called on Moscow to provide access to the peninsula for "international monitoring organizations."

Commenting on this document, Sergei Tsekov, a member of the Federation Council committee on international affairs, noted that over the past five years since the reunification of the peninsula with Russia, statements by NATO have not changed their tone. According to the senator from Crimea, this indicates the unwillingness of the alliance to delve into the processes taking place on the peninsula.

“As for these statements in general - in my opinion, they are not particularly varied. They chose some kind of stamp five years ago, they make standard statements, which shows that they don’t have a desire to understand deeply what is really happening in Crimea today, ”the source said.

In turn, the chairman of the Committee on Interethnic Relations and People’s Diplomacy of the State Council of Crimea Yuri Hempel emphasized that the decision to reunite with Russia was final, and such calls were nothing more than interference in the internal affairs of Russia.

“All these calls that come from the lips of our“ friends ”from NATO and Ukraine do not excite Crimeans. Crimea returned to Russia forever. And talking about the return of the peninsula to Ukraine today is incorrect, ”RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

• © Konstantin Mikhalchevsky / RIA News

A similar position is maintained in the State Duma.

“We regard this as a frank interference in the internal affairs of Russia, as the peninsula, as you know, as a result of the referendum, has finally become part of the Russian Federation, and all statements that sound about Russia's actions in Crimea should be regarded in this way,” he said RT Member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Anton Morozov.

He also commented on the “give access” call for monitoring organizations. Morozov emphasized that Russia does not pose any obstacles to visiting Crimea.

“And now many foreigners visit Crimea, including European parliamentarians, as far as I know, there are no obstacles for foreigners to visit Crimea,” said the deputy.

Commenting on this situation, Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, said in an interview with RT that Western countries themselves impede the work of international organizations in Crimea.

“Russia widely opens the door and invites representatives of international organizations, representatives of state authorities, deputies, representatives of the business community of Western countries in the Crimea. Here, on the contrary, we can say that it is the Western countries, the state structures of Western countries that prevent their citizens from traveling to Crimea, including representatives of public organizations, ”the analyst emphasized.

Recall that in relation to Crimea, European and American sanctions are in force prohibiting private companies from doing business in many sectors of the peninsula's economy. In particular, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe issued a resolution according to which sanctions for visiting Crimea can be imposed on European politicians.

"Relic of the era of the Cold War"

In addition to the statement following the meeting of the commission, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also appealed to Russia during his speech in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

“NATO has not and will not recognize the illegitimate, illegal annexation of Crimea,” he said. “We urge Russia to regain control of the peninsula of Ukraine.”

Commenting on this statement by Stoltenberg, the head of the Federation Council committee on international affairs, Konstantin Kosachev, stated that the North Atlantic Alliance, apparently, did not intend to change its policy.

"In general," on the Western Front without change. " And therefore, it is difficult to disagree with Brussels, which said the day before that “there can be no“ ordinary business ”with Russia. There should be no more “ordinary” - that is, aggressive expansion to the East, ensuring security at the expense of others, contrary to the 1990 Paris Charter for New Europe, military provocations and threats, bombing attacks on sovereign states. The relic of the Cold War era must change, otherwise it will be problematic to deal with it, ”the senator wrote on his Facebook.

“Such statements are hostile”

Such statements by NATO representatives, in particular, are due to the strengthening of Russia's military power in the Black Sea region, said Crimean political scientist Vladislav Ganzhara. In a conversation with RT, he suggested that the alliance intends to provide military assistance to Ukraine, and uses the peninsula as an excuse for this.

“Now they, of course, use the Crimea as a way of speculation, as a way in which they explain military assistance for Ukraine. Such statements are hostile, ”the political scientist emphasized.

At the same time, NATO has repeatedly expressed its readiness to oppose Russia in the Black Sea region. To this end, the alliance, for example, intends to expand cooperation with Ukraine and Georgia.

In connection with these attempts to oppose Russia, the call to transfer Crimea to Ukraine should be seen as a continuation of the information struggle, said Vladimir Shapovalov.

“Obviously, there is no reason for such statements. Therefore, it must be considered in the context of the confrontation, including information, between NATO and Russia, the strengthening of the anti-Russian orientation in NATO activities. I would like to draw attention to the fact that NATO’s military exercises near the Russian border are intensifying, NATO’s military presence on the perimeter of Russian borders is growing, ”he said.