04 July 2024
“Crimea is Still Ukraine 10 Years After Russian Occupation”: A New Article in Stars and Stripes Newspaper Was Published
The international newspaper Stars and Stripes recently published an article titled “Crimea is Still Ukraine 10 Years After Russian Occupation” by Monika Bickauskate-Aleliune, a former global policy analyst at the Legatum Institute and a researcher at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
The article examines key aspects of Crimea’s role in the Russian-Ukrainian war, addressing the extensive Russian propaganda that attempts to portray Crimea as historically Russian territory. The author emphasizes that this thesis is a myth, asserting that Crimea is unequivocally Ukrainian.
The Ukrainian status of Crimea is corroborated not only by international law but also by historical research, which indicates that less than 6% of Crimea’s documented history since the 9th century BC is associated with the Russian period. The period of Russian domination on the peninsula involved colonization, displacement, and the expulsion of indigenous peoples, culminating in the 1944 deportation and genocide of the Crimean Tatars.
A significant portion of the article is dedicated to the current resistance of Crimeans against the occupation authorities. The authors highlight various forms of resistance, including public protests, private messages on social media, anti-occupation posters and symbols, the performance of Ukrainian patriotic songs, and the activities of organized resistance movements such as the Yellow Ribbon movement and the ATESH guerrilla movement.
The article underscores that “Crimea stands as a bastion of hope, its people showing resistance to dictatorship, fighting for the future of Europe and democracy as a whole.” It is noted that Ukraine is making progress, partly due to the support of its allies, which enables it to effectively target Russian military infrastructure and the Black Sea Fleet.
In a comment for the article, Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva stated:
“According to our observations, Ukraine’s successful operations in the Black Sea are one of the most important factors stimulating protest movements in occupied Crimea. This success not only opened the grain corridor but also underscored Ukraine’s determination to fight for the peninsula. Our citizens in Crimea see that Ukraine is standing up for them, which gives them hope for de-occupation, making it seem only a matter of time, and in turn, inspires Ukrainian citizens to resist.”
The article also draws attention to NATO’s role in confronting Russia. It emphasizes the need to reduce Russia’s oil and gas revenues, which will slow down the Kremlin’s military machine.
“Limiting Russia’s oil revenues would slow down the Kremlin’s war machine. In addition, it would show that NATO does not bow down to bogus nuclear threats, and is ready to defend democracy and Ukraine with its own nuclear arsenal if needed. Crimea has been showing resistance to the occupier for the past 10 years. Today, the West has to resist its war fatigue and find new ways to win against Russia,” Monika Bickauskate-Aleliune concludes.
The full version of the article is available here: Crimea is still Ukraine.