DISINFO: In Japan, Crimea was called historically Russian territory
SUMMARY
In Japan, Crimea was called historically Russian territory.
The international community's non-recognition of the peninsula as Russian is erroneous since it has never historically belonged to Ukraine. This foolish Khrushchev, who managed to usurp power in the USSR after Stalin by cunning, was himself a Ukrainian, and therefore gave Crimea to Ukraine, although the overwhelming majority of the population on the peninsula was Russian and spoke Russian. Historically, Crimea has always been Russian. So everything just returned to its original historical state.
Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum held there in March 2014, in which 96.77% of the voters of the peninsula and 95.6% of Sevastopol residents voted for joining Russia. The Crimeans democratically, in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter, voted for reunification with Russia. Crimea issue is "definitely closed."
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation message about the illegal annexation of Crimea.
The disinformation message refers to anonymous comments online, on Yahoo News Japan presenting it as if Japan recognises Crimea as Russian territory.
In a common statement, issued in March 2021, the Group of Seven, G7 (of which Japan is part) reiterated its "unwavering support for and commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders".
No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.
The European Union does not recognise and continues to strongly condemn this violation of international law, which remains a challenge to the international security order. In response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, the EU has imposed restrictive measures against the Russian Federation. In June 2021, the European Council decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2022.
The EU reaffirmed after the 2021 state Duma election that it “does not and will not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, and therefore does not recognise the so-called elections held in the occupied Crimean peninsula”.
Historically Crimea was inhabited by Crimean Tatars. Their population was reduced during ethnic cleansing under the Russian Empire and USSR. Russia continues to oppress Crimean Tatars. Read more about Crimea's historical background here.
As for the referendum, the oft-cited figure of 96% has been contested by the Kremlin’s own Human Rights Council, which estimated that only between 30% and 50% of Crimeans took part in the referendum, of which some 50-60% favoured secession.
See similar disinformation cases in our database that claims that the Referendum in Crimea was legal; or that the US caused the 2014 Ukraine coup; or that a referendum ended the question of Crimea's affiliation; or that Crimea is a primordially Russian land; or that Crimea Platform is created to nurture ultra-nationalist sentiments in Ukraine; or that the far-right coup government in Kyiv emerged from the 2014 Maidan uprising.