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That is the way we see the situation. At the same time, we are always open to dialogue with the
scholarly community, and that is why we value this conference very much.
Sergey Lankin, Acting Head of the RF MFA Office in
Simferopol (Russia)
Representatives of the public and political organiza-
tions as well as the expert and analytical communities,
to say nothing of foreign media, demonstrate a lot of
interest in what is going on in Crimea. Even minor oc-
currences cause a sharp and not necessarily positive
response abroad. The Crimean issue is invariably pres-
ent on the agenda of international talks directly or in-
directly related to Russia. Information related to Crimea is rarely objective and is frequently
hostile so that to cause maximal damage to the interests of Russia. In fact, our relations with
West concerning Crimea are no longer confrontational - they are better described as a full-scale
information war.
Overall, between January and September 2016, the peninsula saw 70 international events involv-
ing foreign partners. It will take too much time to mention all countries - there are several dozens
of them.
We invariably discuss, in greater or lesser detail, with our foreign guests the legitimacy of the
2014 referendum and the reunification of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol with the Russ-
ian Federation.
Today, we have accumulated enough experience of such discussions to conclude that, when we
talking about the international legitimacy of reunification, our opponents fear that it would be-
come a precedent. Their concerns are easy to explain: in many countries, there are obvious or
latent separatist sentiments. This means that, assessing the February-March 2014 events in
Crimea, we should take into account that by that time the peninsula was pushed to the brink of
bloodshed and a civil war.
The issue of the anti-Crimean sanctions accompanied by all sorts of blockades is as acute as
ever. Attempts are being made to isolate the peninsula from the rest of the world; in fact, these
actions hit common people or even the poorest and the most vulnerable of them irrespective
of nationality and confession and mainly living in the peninsula's northern part. Time has come
to realize that it is absurd, illegal and immoral to punish common people for the doings of the
people in power in any state.
We should arrive at a balanced and unbiased legal assessment of the Crimean Spring 2014 and
to push aside the negative political opinions about this far from simple stretch of history still
alive in the West so that to reduce tension around the Crimean issue.
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