DISINFO: The West made it clear to Ukraine that Crimea is Russia
SUMMARY
The Head of the Crimea State Committee for Interethnic Relations Albert Kangiev assures that the refusal of Western countries to discuss the issue of Crimea [in the Normandy format] is a signal to the current Kyiv authorities. Foreign states have long come to terms with the fact that the peninsula is part of Russia. Therefore, he said, there simply cannot be any negotiations on this matter.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the illegal annexation of Crimea. The EU still does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and continues to condemn this violation of international law. In June 2020 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 2021. The Normandy Format talks involve the representatives of four countries, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France, who aim to resolve the war in Donbas. The issue of the illegal annexation of Crimea was not discussed in this format. Crimea is a part of Ukraine and was illegally annexed by Russia. The annexation has been condemned by the UNGA (see the resolution A/RES/68/262 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine). No international body recognises the so-called referendum, announced on 27 February 2014 and held on 16 March 2014. A year after the illegal annexation, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the so-called referendum. Read similar cases claiming that Crimean people have expressed their desire to rejoin Russia in a democratic process and that Crimea never belonged to Ukraine.