Crimea, Russia and EuroCrimea, Russia and Euro- maidan : causes of Crimean separatism
maidan : causes of Crimean
Paris, 2 June 2014
separatism
Paris, 2 June 2014
7% of Crimeans and Donbas residents were staying in a
tent town on Euromaidan in December 2013.
Reaction of authorities in Crimea to
Maidan
•  Russian mass media
•  Anti-European rhetoric
and propaganda
•  Pressure on activists
•  Backstage talks with the
RF
•  Creation of stereotypes
about Maidan, antiUkrainian stereotypes
•  Disinformation
•  Incitement of hatred
Crimea: Maidan and Antimaidan
On attitudes to Crimea in Ukraine
(March 2014)
• 
’’ What is your attitude to the
separation of Crimea from
Ukraine?’’ - 87% - do not
support this idea , only 9% support it, 4% - do no know.
•  No more than one fourth of all
Russians and Russianspeaking population support
the idea of separation of
Crimea or Donbas, whereas
the majority (about 70%) –
are against it.
Geopolitical apprehensions of the
conflict:
•  In 2008 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France
Bernard Kushner pointed out that Crimea could
become the next potential site of just another
war: “It is like this, because maybe I am less
diplomatic and more honest than others.
However, we all know that Russian passports
are distributed there. Though, it`s not a
solution".
•  In the same 2008 the British publication The
Economist] mentioned the possibility of a conflict
right in this region of the post-Soviet area. .
Causes of the crisis:
•  Creation of autonomy on the
territorial basis:
•  Internal Russian mobilization
around the issue of Crimea:
“All of us — Russians,
Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews and
others are Russians”, “a new
ethnos of Russian lands was
created”
•  “There`s no need to draw a
line between the Ukrainian,
Russian, Belarusian, Crimean
Tatar or Greek cultures…
These cultures have
permeated so much into each
other that extra borders are not
necessary”
•  Inhabitants of the peninsula
are predominantly Russianspeaking ones with a
traditional historical, economic,
cultural and family orientation
towards Russia.
•  Mobilization of the electorate
by means of anti-Crimean
Tatar propaganda, “Ours - not
ours’’)
•  At the same time, quite often
Crimean politicians can
speculate on the regional
mindsets in socio-cultural,
ethno-political, language
spheres, thus crystallizing their
own images and gaining
political dividends.
Causes of the crisis
•  Non-inclusive Crimean identity,
“Slavic identity”
•  Orientation towards values and
concepts of the “Russian
world ”, Soviet values of
“Slavic identity” in Crimea
•  Language situation
•  Insufficient efficiency of
politics, political disagreements
on the central and republican
levels
Causes of the Crimean crisis
•  Black Sea fleet as a
factor of
destabilization
Causes of the Crimean crisis
•  Regular support of proRussian groups, political
forces, deputies by the
RF
•  Only All-Ukrainian
Coordination Council of
Russian compatriots in
2010 joined141 «legally
acting structures»,
including 12 Crimean
republican organizations
Causes of the Crimean crisis
•  Political corruption
•  Orientation of central
elites of Ukraine towards
“Slavic majority” (passing
decisions, political
representation,
corruption, language
policy, electoral
preferences)
Priorities:
•  Political and diplomatic activity towards
return of the temporarily occupied Crimea,
preservation of the territorial integrity of
Ukraine
•  Policy coordination
•  Implementation of reforms, European
integration