IndexIntroductionDefinition of key termsAnnexationCrimean TatarsReferendumOblastUkrainian revolutionVerkhovna RadaHistorical contextThe Crimean crisisRecent developmentPerspective of the Russian governmentInternational opposition perspectiveCrimean TatarsPro-Russian activistPrevious attempts at solutionsConclusionIntroductionThe Special General Assembly of Politics and Decolonization (Fourth General Assembly) has a mandate that covers a wide range of topics, such as decolonization efforts, public information, mining actions, and maintaining peace in space. It is also responsible for overseeing specific regional conflicts with the help of subsidiary committee reports. In our commission we will discuss the topic of political stability of post-Soviet states, studying in particular the annexation of Crimea. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, post-Soviet states found themselves in political turmoil and instability as they struggled for democracy and economic prosperity. Nearly three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the 20th century, some post-Soviet states still find themselves struggling towards democratization and Westernization. For example, Crimea has long been a disputed region due to its strategic warm-water ports on the Black Sea. For this reason, the main issue in the region has always been affiliation. Currently, Russia considers Crimea part of its nation. Russian leaders argue that because the annexation was preceded by a popular referendum, Crimea is therefore legally part of Russia. However, Ukraine and many other countries view Russia's actions as a strong disregard of international laws and have since imposed countless sanctions on Russia. Crimea's political, socioeconomic and legal systems continue to be influenced by Russia. This fragile relationship has brought resentment and chaos to the region and neighboring nations. Delegates are not only expected to propose workable solutions, but are also encouraged to maintain their nation's political position and interest within this forum.Definition of Key TermsAnnexationA unilateral act in which a state seizes territory that it belongs to another state. This usually follows a military occupation of a territory. Crimean Tatars The Tatars are ethnic Turks who inhabited the Crimean peninsula from the 13th to the 17th century. They were one of the largest ethnic groups before being forcibly removed from the peninsula in 1944, as ordered by the State Defense Committee of the USSR. They were allowed to return to Ukraine in 1989. They currently make up 12% of the population in Crimea.ReferendumA direct vote by a country's electorate to advise or decide on a specific issueOblastAn administrative division or region in Russia and the former Soviet Union, and in some constituent republics of the former Soviet Union.Ukrainian RevolutionThe Ukrainian Revolution consists of a series of violent protest events in the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, in February 2014. As a result of this revolution, the then President of 'Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych was ousted and the Ukrainian government was overthrown. However, southeastern Ukraine opposed the revolution which ultimately contributed to the Crimean succession crisis and Russia's annexation of Crimea. Verkhovna Rada Verkhovna Rada translates to Ukrainian Supreme Council and is also the Ukrainian parliament. It is located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and primarily serves as the legislative body of the Ukrainian government. SomeoneIts functions include the adoption of laws, the appointment of prime ministers, the appointment of elections and the impeachment of presidents, and the declaration of war and peace. Historical background The Crimean Peninsula is strategically located on the northern coast of the Black Sea with sufficient arable land and resources. It was once annexed by the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine the Great in 1783 and remained there until 1954 when it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR by then-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. The territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine has since led to political instability in this region. After the October Revolution in late 1917, many temporary governments arose on the Crimean peninsula, such as the Crimean People's Republic, the Crimean SSR, and the Crimean Regional Government. After a succession of governments over a few years, on October 18, 1921, Crimea became the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the Russian SFSR (Soviet Federative Socialist Republic), a part of the Soviet Union. Like much of the Eastern Front during World War II, Crimea had previously been occupied by the Nazis. Sevastopol, the largest city on the Crimean peninsula and a major Black Sea port, was almost completely destroyed in the war and had to be rebuilt stone by stone. However, Joseph Stalin ordered the immediate deportation of 200,000 Crimean Tatars to Central Asia as a form of collective punishment for wartime collaboration with the Nazis. Russia then stripped Crimea of ​​its autonomy and turned it into an oblast after the end of World War II in 1946. In 1954, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union ceded Crimea as a “gift” to Ukraine . In 1990, the restoration of the Crimean ASSR was proposed, therefore a referendum was held in 1991. The referendum rewarded Crimea's autonomous status within Ukraine. Before the Crimean crisis, there were multiple tensions regarding the relationship between Ukraine and Russia. For example, in 2008, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko accused Russia of distributing Russian passports to citizens of Crimea. The Crimean Crisis The Crimean crisis began when Viktor Yanukovych, the fourth president of Ukraine, attended an EU summit. He announced that he will suspend preparations for signing a trade deal with the EU. He argued that Ukraine cannot afford to sacrifice trade with Russia. Yanukovych's decision sparked the Orange Revolution. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Kiev and forced a repeat of the presidential elections won by Yanukovych. Yanukovych later fled to Russia after the protest with Putin's help. A week after the president's unauthorized departure, the Crimean crisis erupted: armed men marched into Crimea and took control of military facilities, government infrastructure and checkpoints. Because the Ukrainian government was still in a deep crisis resulting from the president's escape the previous week, the Ukrainian military took no action and these unidentifiable men saw no reaction to their actions. A referendum on secession took place on March 16. and 95.5% of the votes voted in favor of Russia. The vote was not recognized by Western countries due to Russia's monitoring. As a result, it was unclear whether the vote truly represented public opinion in Crimea. Following this referendum result, Vladimir Putin signed a treaty called the Accession Treaty, stating that Crimea would be united with Russia. In a total of one month, Crimea was officially annexed by Russia from the Ukrainian possession. Recent development Before its annexation, Crimea was partof Ukraine and followed the Ukrainian parliament and laws. However, people mostly spoke Russian and followed Russian culture. After the annexation of Crimea, Russian legislation was applied to the country's economic, legal, financial and credit systems, becoming part of the respective Russian systems. After the annexation of Crimea, there were very serious reactions from the international community. Many countries and official organizations, including the United Nations, said Russia's actions violated international laws. Russia is expressly said to have violated the non-intervention clause in the United Nations Charter, the 1996 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and Ukraine, and the 1996 Budapest Memorandum on the security guarantees which the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia have all signed. In addition to the charges against these specific violations, both the EU and US governments intervened to assist the Ukrainian government in the response. In response, many countries have also imposed sanctions on Russia. In 2014, the International Monetary Fund finalized a $17 billion loan package that would be distributed to Ukraine over the course of two years. The EU also gave Ukraine a support package of about $15 billion, and the United States gave Ukraine about $1 billion in loan guarantees. Regarding sanctions against Russia, the US, EU, Japan and Canada have all imposed sanctions on Russia and all officials affiliated with the seizure of Crimea. These sanctions include travel bans, asset freezes and the exclusion of some Russian banks from the capital markets of the United States and EU-affiliated countries. In response, Russia has since implemented a ban on food imports from the US and EU-affiliated countries. Overall, there has also been an increased NATO military presence in the Baltic states as the NATO Secretary General stated that the annexation of Crimea represents “the greatest threat to European security since the Cold War”. In this sense, NATO created a partnership for peace by creating an alliance with Ukraine after the annexation of Crimea. The Russian Government's PerspectivePresident Putin publicly outlined Russia's view on the annexation of Crimea by declaring that, first and foremost, Russia supports the legitimacy of the referendum. With 86% of eligible voters voting in the referendum and 96% of voters voting in favor of joining Russia, Putin believes these statistics are an example of why Russia's actions are deserved: they are simply honoring the desires of the people. Furthermore, since Crimea belonged to Russia from 1774 to 1954, Crimea has a deep Russian connection rooted in its history, reflecting Crimea's deep nationalistic connection with Russia. One of Putin's main arguments is that the annexation of Crimea is necessary in order to protect the Russian majority living in Crimea and who have been subjected to the ways of the Ukrainian government, ways that Putin describes as fascist and with which he does not agree. . Beyond that, Putin also argues that the referendum also reflects all of Crimea's different population groups and their desire to join Russia. He notes that the Crimean Tatars were treated harshly during the reign of the USSR and that his goal is to help reintegrate and rehabilitate the Tatars who returned to Crimea. In short, Putin's and Russia's view on the issue is that the referendum reflects the desire of the people of Crimea to join Russia in a fair and just matter, a desire that goes back to the undeserved loss ofCrimea in favor of Ukraine in 1954. Furthermore, the almost unanimous result of this referendum can be explained through Crimea's deep connection with Russian culture and Russian history. Finally, Russia's intentions in annexing Crimea are in the hope of helping Crimea and its people improve their situation by being part of a Russian nation instead of an unstable Ukrainian nation. International Opposition Perspective Several countries, including many NATO and EU member states, loudly argued that the referendum imposed on Crimea was neither legal, legitimate, nor constitutional under the Ukrainian Constitution. The Constitution of Ukraine states that a referendum whose outcome can cause a change in the territorial situation of Ukraine requires the vote of all Ukrainian people. Furthermore, the Constitution (which is in line with international law) states that secession can only occur when the human rights or development rights of a group or region have been violated, neither of which is the case in Crimea. In this sense, many of these countries share concern about the voices of the Crimean Tatars, a group of natives who have suffered severe discrimination under Russian rule in the past. They are highly skeptical of Putin's claims that joining Russia is what all of Crimea's different demographics wanted. These countries consider the military intervention demonstrated by Russia to be a grave violation of international law and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. To summarize, international opposition to Putin and his administration's actions in Crimea argues that the referendum was not only unofficial and unreliable, but also illegal and that Russia's military presence in Ukraine constitutes a serious violation of international security. These countries have continued to encourage negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, imposed sanctions on Russia, sent aid to Ukraine, and suggested that Russia's blatant disregard for international law is worrying and poses a threat to European countries in future. Crimean Tatars President Putin's claim that the Crimean Tatar population supports the annexation of Crimea has been disputed by many Crimean Tatars. Crimean Tatars are a predominantly Sunni Muslim group that currently comprise approximately 12% of Crimea's population. During the years of Russian and Soviet rule. Tatars suffered a lot of discrimination. In 2014, shortly after the annexation, Tatars protested against Russia's actions. As recently as 2017, the leader of the group of Tatar protesters, Ahtem Chiugoz, was found guilty of “fomenting mass unrest” through these demonstrations in 2014 and has since been sent to prison for an eight-year sentence. Given their current minority status, the needs and views of Crimean Tatars are often silenced, especially regarding annexation. Similar to Chiygoz's arrest, many Tatars continue to be silenced and allegedly physically harmed when they attempt to make their voices heard while living in a Russian-ruled Crimea. Pro-Russian activist Despite the international community's skepticism regarding the legitimacy of unanimous support for accession In Russia, in the 2014 referendum, there is a large group of Crimeans who are very in favor of annexation. Given that Russians make up 60% of Crimea's population, Crimea's population is made up of many ethnic Russians and Russian speakers. That said, they have a strong connection to Russia. Pro-Russian activists describe the annexation as if they had come home.