Ukraine itself in 2014 paved the way for the reunification of Crimea with Russia. This was stated by Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya, speaking at a meeting on the peninsula of the UN Security Council meeting in video format.
The meeting was held on the initiative of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the organization according to the formula of Arria. It involves informal consultations organized by members of the Security Council to exchange views with outsiders, for example, representatives of non-governmental organizations and the public.
Nebenzya emphasized that the main purpose of the meeting was for its participants to hear about the real situation in Crimea from its residents themselves.
“They represent civil society and the media. They were not instructed on what to say. We only recommended that they watch the broadcast of the UN Security Council meeting on the formula of Arria on March 6, so that they hear what tales tell about the current life in Crimea. We asked them to choose what they want to say. I myself do not know what they will talk about. The dialogue will not be built with me, but with them. Therefore, listen to their speeches, which were not subjected to editing, or fabrication, or censorship, ”Nebenzya said in his opening remarks.
Permanent representatives of Germany, France and the Czech Republic to the UN, as well as the representative of the European Union who took part in the meeting, said they did not recognize the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Federation and considered the referendum a violation of international law.
“Unfortunately, there is no one to blame Ukrainians other than themselves, because it was they who created the prerequisites for the 2014 referendum,” Nebenzya answered.
He also recalled the role of the European countries themselves in the events of 2014.
“I myself am not a fan of Viktor Yanukovych, but I want to remind you that the guarantors of the agreement reached between him and the opposition were Germany, France and Poland. These guarantees were violated the very next day by the opposition, which simply seized power in Kiev and forced Yanukovych to flee, because he was afraid, and justifiably, for his life, the permanent representative reminded. - That is what became the starting point of the events in the Crimea. If this had not happened in Kiev in 2014, the situation would have been different and Crimea today would have been where it was before 2014. ”
Crimeans speaking by video said that their rights on the peninsula are respected, and the quality of life has improved.
“I live better than six years ago,” said Ervin Musaev, a deputy in the Bakhchisaray City Council.
He also spoke about the situation of the Crimean Tatars.
“More than 200 thousand Crimean Tatars lived in Crimea before 2014, and continue to live. We have not gone anywhere, we live in our own country. We live, we will live and we will develop further, ”Musayev said.
In addition, he called on the UN to respond to the energy and water blockade of the peninsula by Ukraine.
“This topic is extremely rare in the world media. But there is something to talk about. How can water and electricity be cut off for 2.5 million people in the 21st century? For six years, no water has been flowing into Crimea through the North Crimean Canal, which many countries built. All this contradicts all the fundamentals of international law. I’m sure that resources need to be found at the UN site to solve this problem, taking into account the fact that Crimea is Russian territory, ”Musaev said during his speech.
Recall that Ukraine stopped supplying water through the North Crimean Canal to the peninsula back in 2014.
Crimeans also noted that reunification with Russia was their conscious choice. Anastasia Gridchina, head of the Ukrainian community of Crimea, drew attention to the fact that the referendum on the annexation of Crimea was absolutely legal, adding that the participants in the Security Council meeting simply “did not see the eyes of the people who were voting in the referendum, and the joy on their faces.”
The Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations, Christoph Heusgen, stated that "there is international law, the UN charter, the Council of Europe, and the Venice Commission under it."
“Sometimes international courts make decisions that sometimes do not suit people. Some of you said that I needed to go to the referendum and look into the eyes of the voters who were full of inspiration ... Perhaps you are even right about the inspired eyes and so on ... However, if we stop observing international law, if we stop observing The UN Charter, if state constitutions are not applied, a catastrophe will befall the world ... Personally, I urge compliance with international law and constitutions, ”said Heusgen.
Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN reacted to this remark by the German counterpart.
“You are talking about international law ... I don’t want to delve into this topic, I just want to remind you of Kosovo, which you, with permission, warmly supported and recognized, and were also glad when the international court passed a decision in favor of its independence, although the decision on independence, I recall, was made in parliament, and not even as a result of a referendum. So as for international law, everything is not so straightforward, ”said Nebenzya.
- Crimea
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- © Pavel Rebrov
He also recalled that Heusgen says this to Crimeans, who claim to be satisfied with the decision they made.
“Now they live in Russia and are not going anywhere else. What do you want to offer them? Do you want them to return to Ukraine? Do you think they will agree? It is not a matter of politics, it is an objective question. I’m talking about people's attitude to the situation, and not about how it should be and what international law provides for, ”the Permanent Representative of Russia emphasized.
State Duma deputy from Crimea Ruslan Balbek in an interview with RT also expressed confidence that the opinion of Crimeans on this issue should be a priority.
“Without a doubt, the most objective information on the situation of civil rights and freedoms in Crimea may be data from the inhabitants of the peninsula themselves or from a monitoring mission working on the peninsula,” Balbek said.
In turn, the First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Dzhabarov, noted that Europe continues the previous line, "when they did not condemn the coup in Ukraine, they were silent."
“But when the Crimeans expressed a desire to live in the Russian Federation, they did not like it. Although all the rules of international law were respected. They can be indignant at any time. I think that over time all this will settle down. Crimea will never leave Russia. I think that they will get used to it, and gradually all these restrictions will be lifted, ”Jabarov emphasized in a commentary on RT.
Recall that Crimea became the Russian region after a referendum in March 2014, in which 96.77% of voters of the Republic of Crimea and 95.6% of residents of Sevastopol voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation.
In Moscow, it was repeatedly emphasized that the inhabitants of the peninsula voted for democratic reunification with Russia, in full accordance with international law and the UN Charter. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the issue of Crimea is “completely closed.”