The Claim:
A tweet by the Russian ministry of foreign affairs quotes spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who falsely claims that Crimea legally annexed by Russia in March 2014.
Narrative Context:
The Russian government’s narratives about Crimea’s annexation and the Euromaidan protests are distorted by pro-Kremlin disinformation. Russian information operations falsely frame the Maidan protests as Western plots and label Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea as a legitimate expression of will the residents of Crimea through a referendum.
These false claims are deployed by the Kremlin to justify Russia’s re-colonization of parts of Ukraine. Narratives about Russia’s dominance and right to colonize Ukraine are also used to provoke nationalist sentiment inside Russia, which is politically exploited by Vladimir Putin to boost his popularity.
Moscow has a history of conducting similar “referendums” and “elections,” including those used to justify the illegal Soviet occupation of the Baltic States during WWII. In the summer of 1940, the Red Army invaded the Baltic states and then forced the resignation of their governments. The presidents of Estonia and Latvia were subsequently imprisoned and died in Siberia. Under Soviet control, puppet Stalinist regimes were installed, orchestrating sham elections that yielded fabricated results. These manipulated elections laid the groundwork for the establishment of “people’s assemblies,” which swiftly acted to formally request the incorporation of the Baltic states into the Soviet Union. By June 1941, the newly established Soviet authorities initiated widespread deportations of those labeled as “enemies of the people.” This history is actively manipulated by the Kremlin today to undermine the sovereignty of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The Facts:
The sham Kremlin orchestrated referendum in Crimea, was conducted under the intimidating presence of Russia’s military and without impartial observers and presented voters with a false choice. Official reports claimed an 83% turnout with 96.7% favoring joining Russia, figures that appear dubious given the significant ethnic Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar populations. A leaked report later suggested a mere 30% turnout, with about half of those voting for union with Russia, challenging the official narrative.
No international entity, including the UN and the EU, recognizes the legitimacy of Russia’s “referendum” or claims on Crimea. Russian President Vladimir Putin eventually acknowledged the deployment of Russian soldiers in Crimea to influence the referendum, admitting the annexation plan was premeditated.
