South Korean gift to Russian library sparks diplomatic tensions
A diplomat from South Korea likely did not anticipate the uproar caused by a gift to one of the libraries on Russia's Sakhalin. On the globe presented, Ukraine appeared with its borders including territories currently occupied by Russia.
On the globe given by the diplomat from the South Korean consulate general in Russia, Crimea, along with the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, are shown as part of Ukraine.
In a conversation with the local press, the head of the library in Nogliki, Sakhalin, Olga Rozhnova, complained that "these actions are unacceptable towards her and the indigenous peoples of the Sakhalin region."
"A diplomat cannot fail to understand the responsibility involved in the deliberate distortion of Russia's borders on maps and the fact that the presence of this globe in a municipal institution could be seen as an expression of separatism by the indigenous residents of the [Russian] north," declared an agitated Rozhnova.
The woman also assured that she contacted the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the violation of the law by the South Korean diplomat.
Territories under Russian occupation
Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, following the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych as a result of the Euromaidan protests. After holding a fraudulent referendum not recognized by Ukraine or most of the international community, Crimea was annexed to Russia.
In response to the conflict with Ukrainian government forces in 2014, pro-Russian separatists established the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic. In 2022, Russia recognized these so-called republics and aimed to incorporate them into Russia's state structures, as announced during referendums.
Almost three years after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the main areas under Russian occupation remain in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. These include parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
Source: Belsat, X, WP News
