DISINFO: Crimeans have benefited from reconnection with Russia
SUMMARY
Two new days have appeared in the history books – March 16 and 18, 2014. After the referendum on March 16, Sevastopol and the Crimean Republic were integrated in the Russian Federation two days later. In Sevastopol people now re-learn the history from the point of view of Moscow. Crimea was Russian for a long time, before the Soviet empire changed the borders. At the beginning of the 90s, Kyiv started to force the entirely Russian-speaking population of the peninsula to learn Ukrainian and Ukrainian history. “Everything is fine, everything is perfect, we have enough money,” said a Crimean. Abandoned by Kyiv, the peninsula gains modernity. Pensions have been raised. The prices are higher than before, but so is the standard of living.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative on the illegal annexation of Crimea. No international body recognises the so-called referendum, announced 27th of February, 2014, and held less than three weeks later. On March 27th, 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it stated that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, recognised April 17th 2015 that "our soldiers were deployed in Crimea to help the inhabitants express their opinion" (Interfax). As for historical past of Crimea, see the explanation by the Ukrainian embassy in France. No evidence given that Ukraine forced Russian speaking population to learn Ukrainian. In the 2012/2013 academic year, in secondary schools of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea 89.32% of pupils received education in Russian, 7.41% - in Ukrainian, 3.11% in the Crimean Tatar language. No evidence given to support that "everything is perfect" as for "modernity" and living standards in Crimea. The most serious deterioration in the situation was in 2017, by which point prices in the peninsula had increased by an average of 95% compared to before the annexation: price of produce increased by 203%; of utilities services by 205%; educational services by 246.8%, and health services by 168%, as summarised "MBKh media" in the report "Crimea is still hanging on". In 2016, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev came to the Crimea and, in response to the pensioner's complaints about a small pension, said “There is no money, but please keep hanging on”.