Ukranian officials are livid today after a referendum set the stage for Crimean accession into the Russian Federation. Crimea is being recognized as independent by Russia now, and annexation is expected at some point in the future.
Ukrainian interim President Oleksandr Turchinov says his government will “never accept” the annexation of Crimea into Russia, though the practical matter is there is little to nothing he can do about it.
What this means in the long run, if and when the annexation comes, is a protracted territorial dispute, though Russia’s size and the overwhelming results of the referendum mean it will be a theoretical dispute more than a literal one.
There are scores of territorial disputes worldwide, so this is really nothing new, though the Crimea is among the largest such disputed territories. Barring some dramatic shift in popular sentiment among Crimeans, however, it is likely to stay a Russian Republic within the Federation.
Interestingly, as the map shows, it will be very difficult, as a practical matter, to govern Crimea as part of Russia. Full independence would probably have been a better solution and once intimidation ceases, the idea may well come to the fore in Crimea. Just imagine it: anti-Russian demonstrations in Crimea demanding independence from Russia! That could be part of the break-up of the alreday unwieldy Rusian Federation.
In a previous posting you did not predict demonstrations in Crimea demanding independence from Russia nor did you predict the breakup of the Russian Federation. Your predictions are all over the map and, as I have done before, I will keep a record of your infinite wisdom.
There is only one reason why Ukraine wants to hold on to Crimea. That is because Crimea is a territory which Ukraine can use to blackmail Russia. The professed emotional bonds, the sighs, the tears, they are all theater. Actually these are dangerous theater.
the officials were very recently street punks, why would anyone listen to them or even klthink they could run their piss to the toilet let alone a country.
It's a done deal. The US Nazi Fascists posing as Ukraine's government have ZERO options, and they can do F*** All about it.