DISINFO: Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions overwhelmingly voted to join Russia
SUMMARY
In 2014, following a Western-backed coup in Kyiv, the residents of Crimea overwhelmingly voted to join Russia in a public referendum. In 2022, the residents of four other formerly Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson - voted to join Russia as federal subjects.
RESPONSE
The claim is part of an ongoing pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign concerning Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The referendum in Crimea was neither legitimate nor democratic. On 26 February 2014, the Russian Federation deployed members of its armed forces to gain control over parts of the Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian Government. The next day a referendum was announced and a vote was held on March 16, 2014, in the Peninsula of Crimea. The territory was then controlled by Russian forces, and neither Ukrainian nor Russian election code was observed.
According to international law, Crimea is a part of Ukraine. On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning Russia's occupation of Crimea and stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula.
The so called 'referendums' concerning the four other regions of Ukraine were held illegally, under duress, and on territories which Russia does not have a full control over, but has a partial military control over.
The results of these 'sham polls' have been universally rejected by leading international and human rights organisations, including the United Nations, the OSCE, NATO, as well as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
On the EU's behalf, High Representative Josep Borrell said the following:
“The European Union strongly condemns these planned illegal “referenda” which go against the legal and democratically elected Ukrainian authorities, are in violation of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in blatant breach of international law. The results of such actions will be null and void and would not be recognised by the EU and its Member States. [...]
Therefore, these illegal “votes” cannot be considered under any circumstance as the free expression of the will of the people living in these regions under constant Russian military threat and intimidation."
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ten years ago, Crimea reunified with Russia after a referendum, Russia saved Crimea 10 years ago, that Crimea and Sevastopol are an integral part of Russia, that Ukraine sold Crimea to the West, or that the annexation of Crimea brought peace and prosperity to this region.