NewsRussian lawmakers aim to invalidate Khrushchev's Crimea transfer
Russian lawmakers aim to invalidate Khrushchev's Crimea transfer
7:21 AM EDT, March 12, 2024
This legislative initiative seeks to establish a legal foundation for Moscow to assert that Crimea has never belonged to Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Russian lawmakers seek to nullify Khrushchev's decision
The bill's proponents argue that the 1954 transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was unjustified and illegal. They highlight the lack of a referendum on the peninsula’s status at that time and assert that Soviet authorities lacked the authority to redistribute territories between republics.
Vladimir Putin has previously criticized Nikita Khrushchev's decision to transfer Crimea, labeling it a "violation of the legal norms of the era".
In 1991, Crimeans, along with all Ukrainian citizens, voted for Ukraine's independence in a nationwide referendum. However, in 2014, Russian forces occupied Crimea and facilitated a referendum, which was deemed illegal by Ukraine and Western nations. Following this, the authorities of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea declared independence and requested annexation by Russia. Consequently, Crimea was absorbed by Russia, subsequently serving as a "launch pad" for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Source: Reuters, PAP
