Crimean Precedent

The term “Kosove precedent” has been popular in expert, diplomatic and media circles since 2008 (or maybe even earlier). The recognition of independence of Kosovo by a number of the Western powers was an extraordinary case: the part of the international community abandoned the principle of territorial integrity and contravening to the metropolitan countries, satisfied the political demands of the separatists. It is the “precedent” that the Kremlin called the Kosovo case. The Western powers afforded what Russia could not: officiallyrecognize the independence of the friendly separatist country. Russia had been supporting the separatists in Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan for a decade and a half — and could not recognize them. In short, that was a precedent and this is why it reocurred shortly: in the same 2008 Moscow recognized the independence of Georgian territories: South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia, so to say, restored the balance of cynicism and arrogance in the world politics. Many observers thought that Russia would come to nothing more than recognize the independence of the country created by Crimean separatists.

But the old tartar Putin went ahead and broke the other, even more important principle of the International Law: the prohibition of annexation. Not only did Russia chop off the territory from Ukraine but it also expanded its own territory at our expense and without our consent. This is not the Kosovo precedent anymore, this is now the new, Crimean precedent. This is how Saddam played with Kuwait in 1990 but he was given a good shaking up then. Now Russia is the first in the list of world’s bullies — violators of peace and stability. The takeover of Crimea is so far bloodless. The international authority of Moscow and the bloodless nature of the annexation are the two factors that hinder handling Putin the same way as his friend Saddam. Kremlin’s actions can be regarded as a raider seizure of an unprecedented scale. Just like any other raider attack, this seizure was unprovoked and covered with veil of lies. But however that may be, right now we have the moral right to speak about the Crimean precedent in relation to the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation itself. From now on, I for one will support any initiative of the Russian neighbors as to the annexation of the Russian territory (we all know that there are interested parties). Russia is too large and heterogeneous. There are many countries that could manage its large territories. Lots of Russian citizens would not refuse from citizenship and social perspectives from more civilized countries (from Estonia to Japan). In the places where the Crimean precedent does not work, the Kosov precedent will. There are enough such areas bith in the south and the east of Russia. The Kremlin itself has signed the new principles of the Universe. Now it is time to catch the returning boomerang.

Translated by Vladimir Kolesnikov