The Russian Annexation of Crimea

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Ivan Katchanovski

Published:

2025

Publisher:

Springer International Publishing

Abstract This chapter analyzes the role of Russia, Crimean separatists, the Ukrainian government, the far right, and the West in the Russian annexation of Crimea in spring 2014. It examines interviews, videos, public opinion polls, and media reports in Ukrainian, English, and Russian. The analysis shows that the conflict in Crimea involved both secession and Russian annexation with help of covert Russian military intervention of this predominantly ethnic Russian region of Ukraine and the Russian Black Sea fleet base. Polls suggest that most Crimean residents supported this, and there was strong separatism in the Crimean autonomy. However, the Russian annexation with help of the military intervention played a greater role and represented conflict spiral escalation, primarily, in response to the violent overthrow of the pro-Russian government during Euromaidan in Ukraine with the US involvement. Many Russians and Russian politicians regarded this region of Ukraine as historically Russian. The overwhelming majority of countries did not recognize the unilateral secession and the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea. Narratives propagated by the Russian, Ukrainian, and Western governments and the media and, especially, Wikipedia misrepresented different elements of the 2014 Crimean conflict. The Russia-Ukraine war affected Crimea, but it is virtually impossible that Ukraine can take back this region.

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