Crimea and the Issue of Sovereignty By: Christiana Nisbet

Questions I was asked Crimea declared sovereignty in the last days of the Soviet era, but the sovereignty movement failed. What factors prompted the initial declaration? What issues/problems led to disagreements between Crimea and the Ukrainian government BEFORE 2014?

Overviewed Background/ map Factors that lead to declaration Disagreements before 2014 Citations

Background Ukraine was considered an Union Republic under the USSR Crimea has been part of Ukraine since 1954 Population of Ukraine is 42.1 million people ( as of 2014) Population of Crimea is 2.3 million ( as of 2014 ) map-Ukraine-Russia.jpg

Factors that prompted the initial declaration mous_republic_map.svg/2000px- Crimea_autonomous_republic_map.svg.png

The sovereignty movement of the 1990s and why it failed Why there was a sovereignty movement Failure for Russia to accept Ukrainian sovereignty over Crimea Crimean lack of connection to the Ukraine The Declaration of State Sovereignty of Crimea – 1991 Why it failed Western Europe, NATO, US support for Ukrainian Control over Crimea General Agreement between Russia and Ukraine Agreement between Ukraine and Russia in relation to BSF Treaty 1995 and 1996 Policies marginalized separatists Ukrainian strength in defending its interests due to Yeltsin’s disinterest in Crimea

Ukraine vs. Crimea Challenges before

Factors: History/Ethnic Tartars vs. Slavs Religion Lack of support for minorities Mass deportation Language Large Russian minority Lack of Crimean connection to the Ukraine

Factors : National/Political Crimea independent parliament/ government NATO Free Zone Support for Russia in Georgian War Desire to be a Federation Ukrainian Orange Revolution Military Doctrine of Ukraine adopted by Council of National Security and Defense Corruption Policies Changes Election of Pro Russian leaders President Yanukovych President Yushchenko More authoritarian government Lack of support for the minorities

Election

Election

Factors: International Politics Relations with Russia Wants to control Ukraine through Crimea Euro-Atlantic Treaty Price Controls NGOs’ Pro-Russian Passports and Duel Citizens Relations with the West Anti-NATO Nuclear Weapons

Factors: Geographical Strategic positioning Black Fleet Control over the Black Sea Kharkov agreements gives control to Russia in Sevastopol until a_rex.jpg

Factors: Economic Eastern Ukraine more industrial and military oriented Corruption Legacies of Soviet System Privatization Unemployment Inequality Heavily reliant on Russia Ties to EU

Citations David Marples and David Duke “Ukraine, Russia, and the Question of Crimea,” Nationalities Papers 23(2): "Ukraine's Sharp Divisions." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr Taras Kuzio, “The Crimea: Europe’s Next Flashpoint?” Washington, D.C.: Jamestown Foundation. [ Tetyana Malyarenko and David Galbreath, “Crimea: Competing Self-Determination Movements and the Politics at the Centre,” Europe-Asia Studies 65(5): Ewa Fischer, Jadwiga Rogoza “A Bottomless Pit: The Costs of Crimea’s Annexation by Russia,” OSW Commentary #142. Warsaw: Centre for Eastern Studies.