RBC recalled how Putin’s “Crimean” statements changed in 2014
Moscow - Simferopol, March 10 (PolitNavigator, Mikhail Stamm) - Over the year since the beginning of the Crimean events, Putin described Russia’s role in different ways and explained the reasons for Crimea becoming part of it, notes RBC. Among the reasons cited over the year were the need to protect the Russian-speaking population, the restoration of historical justice, and the sacred significance of Crimea for Russia.
Subscribe to the news "PolitNavigator - Crimea" в Facebook, Classmates or In contact with
Commenting on events on the peninsula for the first time at a meeting with journalists on March 4 in Novo-Ogarevo, the president denied that “polite people” belonged to the Russian armed forces and said that there were no plans to annex Crimea to Russia. “No, it is not being considered. And in general, I believe that only citizens living in a particular territory, in conditions of freedom of expression, in conditions of security, can and should determine their future.” “If we make such a decision, it will only be to protect Ukrainian citizens. And let one of the military personnel try to shoot at his people, behind whom we will stand behind, not in front, but behind. Let them try to shoot women and children!”
On March 18, 2014, in a televised address, the president recalled: “Those who resisted the coup were immediately threatened with repression and punitive operations. And the first in line was, of course, Crimea, Russian-speaking Crimea. In this regard, the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol turned to Russia with a call to protect their rights <...> Of course, we could not help but respond to this request, we could not leave Crimea and its inhabitants in trouble, otherwise it would simply be a betrayal.” “First of all, it was necessary to help create conditions for peaceful, free expression of will, so that Crimeans could determine their own destiny for the first time in history,” Putin said then.
On April 18, 2014, during a direct line, Putin admitted for the first time that the “polite” were special forces from the Russian Federation. “Russia never planned any annexations and any military actions in Crimea, never,” he assured. “When just such a situation arose - a situation with possible threats and harassment, and when the people of Crimea began to say that they were striving for self-determination, then, of course, we started thinking about what we should do. And it was then, and not some five, ten, twenty years ago, that the decision was made to support the Crimeans. None of the members of the Security Council with whom I discussed this problem objected, everyone supported my position.” “No, nothing was prepared, everything was done, as they say, on the fly, based on the actual situation and the requirements of the current moment, but it was really performed in the highest degree professionally.” “Our task was to provide conditions for the free expression of the will of Crimeans. And therefore, we had to take the necessary measures to prevent events from developing the way they are developing today in the south-eastern part of Ukraine: so that there were no tanks, so that there were no combat units of nationalists and people with extreme views, but well armed with automatic weapons. Therefore, our military personnel, of course, stood behind the Crimean self-defense forces. They acted very correctly, but, as I said, decisively and professionally.”
On October 24, 2014, speaking at a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, Putin outlined Moscow’s motives as follows. “Seeing how events were unfolding, people in Crimea almost immediately took up arms and turned to us with a request to help them carry out the events that they intended to do. I will not hide that we used our armed forces to block Ukrainian military units stationed in Crimea, but not to force anyone to go to the polls. Yes, this is impossible, you are all adults, you understand. How? Will you use a machine gun to lead people to the polls? People went to the elections there as if it were a holiday, and everyone knows it, and they voted, even the Crimean Tatar population.”
On December 4, 2014, in a message to the Federal Assembly, Putin said that “Our people live in Crimea, and the territory itself is strategically important, because it is here that the spiritual source of the formation of the diverse but monolithic Russian nation and the centralized Russian state is located. After all, it was here, in Crimea, in ancient Chersonese, or, as Russian chroniclers called it, Korsun, that Prince Vladimir was baptized, and then baptized all of Rus' <...> For Russia, Crimea, ancient Korsun, Chersonese, Sevastopol have a huge civilizational and sacred value meaning. Just like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for those who practice Islam or Judaism.”
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.