The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr Nikolay Udovichenko, berates the sanctions slammed on Russia by the United States (US) and European Union (EU), over its role in the secession of the disputed Crimea region from Ukraine to Russia saying Russia is not afraid of sanction. In this interview with INNOCENT ODOH, the envoy says the secession of the people of Crimea was predicated on the UN charter which gives the right of self-determination to nations, adding that the US and its allies only peddle hypocrisy and double standards on the global arena. Excerpts
ACan you tell us the historical background of this Crimean crisis?
Certainly, to understand clearly Russia’s position and actions on Crimea, it is necessary to know about the history of this region. The fact is that Russia and Crimea are inseparable from each other. Saint Prince Vladimir, the ruler of Ancient Russia, who formed the overall basis of the culture, civilization and human values of our peoples, was baptized in Crimea.
The graves of Russian soldiers whose bravery brought Crimea into Russia in 1783 are also there. Crimea is also Sevastopol – a legendary city, the birthplace of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Balaklava and Kerch, Malakhov Kurgan and Sapun Ridge – each one of these places is symbolising Russian military glory and valour.
Crimea was an inseparable part of Russia, until the historical misfortune was committed in 1954 – a voluntary decision was made to transfer Crimean Region to Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union at that time. This decision was treated as a pure formality because the territory was transferred within the boundaries of the single state. Back then, it was impossible to imagine that Ukraine and Russia may split up and become two separate states. However, this happened. The USSR fell apart. Hundreds of thousands of Russian people, which are the ethnic majority in Crimea, went to bed in one country and awoke in a different one.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union we have agreed with Ukraine on many complicated issues, including Crimea. It was important for us to maintain good relations with Ukraine, not to make them hostage to disputes. At the same time, we hoped that Russian citizens and Russian speakers in Ukraine, especially in Crimea, would live in a friendly, democratic and civilized state that would protect their rights in line with the norms of international law.
However, this is not how the situation developed. Time and time again attempts were made to deprive Russians of their native language and to subject them to forced assimilation. The situation became unbearable, when a coup d’etat inspired by external powers occurred in Ukraine in February. Neo-Nazis, Russophobes and anti-Semites executed this coup. They continue to set the tone in Ukraine to this day.
Those who opposed the coup were immediately threatened with repression. In this situation Russia could not stand aside and abandon our compatriots to their fate. In fact, we were forced to act, to act quickly and decidedly. After almost all citizens of Crimea had voted in the referendum for secession from Ukraine and reunification with Russia, we accommodated these aspirations.
The US and EU have slammed some Russian and Ukrainian officials deemed to be responsible for the Crimea secession vote with sanctions. What does this portend for Russian and Ukraine?
We do not care about sanctions against Ukrainian officials, it’s not our business. Concerning Russia I would like to stress, that we are not afraid of those sanctions we are being threatened with. First of all, let me remind you that our actions were forced and provoked not by us. Secondly, we already experience many limitations that are quite significant for us, our economy and our nation. Sanctions will lead nowhere, but affect countries that initiated them. We oppose sanctions and think that imposition of restrictive measures will just destabilize the world economy.
The US and its allies have said that under international law, the Crimea vote of secession from Ukraine is illegal, but Russia saw it as a vote for self determination. This crisis has indeed thrown the UN system into a dilemma capable of destabilizing the world body if these super power nations don’t resolve this matter amicably. What is your reaction to this?
Russia recognized the referendum held in Crimea on March 16 and considers it legitimate, because it was conducted in full compliance with democratic procedures and international norms including the UN Charter, which speaks of the right of nations to self-determination. Moreover, the Crimean authorities referred to the well-known Kosovo precedent, which our western colleagues created with their own hands, when they agreed that the separation of Kosovo from Serbia was legitimate and the unilateral declaration of independence did not require any permission from the country’s central authorities.
As for your fears, such tendencies, most likely, do really exist today. Let us together find an answer on the reasons of such situation, when like a mirror, the events in Ukraine reflect what is going on and what has been happening in the world over the past several decades. On March, 18, during his address the President of Russia V.V.Putin gave complete answers to these questions.
It is true, that after the dissolution of bipolarity on the planet, we no longer have stability. Some countries prefer not to be guided by international law in their practical policies, but by the rule of the gun. They have come to believe in their exclusivity and exceptionalism, that they can decide the destiny of the world. They act as they please: here and there, they use force against sovereign states, building coalitions based on the principle “If you are not with us, you are against us”. To make this aggression look legitimate, they force the necessary resolutions from international organizations, and if for some reason this does not work, they simply ignore the UN Security Council and the UN overall.
This happened in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and in other countries. There was a whole series of controlled “colour” revolutions, when the standards that did not in any way correspond to the way of life, traditions, or these peoples’ cultures were imposed on the nations. As a result, instead of democracy and freedom, there was chaos, outbreaks in violence and a series of upheavals. The Arab Spring, for instance, turned into the Arab Winter.
A similar situation unfolded in Ukraine, where they have thrown in an organized and well-equipped army of militants.
Some analysts believe that the old Cold war politics between the West and Russia have re-emerged in Ukraine crisis, with far more threatening dimension. What is your take on this?
– Russia strives to engage in dialogue and equal partnership with our colleagues in the West. We are constantly proposing cooperation on all key issues; we want to strengthen our level of trust and for our relations to be equal, open and fair. Unfortunately, we often don`t see reciprocal steps. This happened with NATO’s expansion to the East, as well as the deployment of military infrastructure at our borders. That happened with the deployment of systems of antimissile defense.
In short, as declared by our President, we have every reason to assume that the infamous policy of containment, led in the 18th, 19th and 20thcenturies, continues today. They are constantly trying to sweep us into a corner because we have an independent position, because we maintain it and because we call things like they are and do not engage in hypocrisy. But there is a limit to everything. Russia was pushed aside at a boundary from which it couldn’t recede.
Today, it is imperative to end this hysteria, to refute the rhetoric of the cold war and to accept the obvious fact: Russia is an independent, active participant in international affairs; like other countries, it has its own national interests that need to be taken into account and respected.
If Russia sticks to its guns in this crisis in the Crimea, would it not alienate itself further from its former European allies?
Russia counts on understanding of the Russian position and steps concerning Ukraine and Crimea by the world community. I think that not only Russia, but also other participants are interested in cooperation at the international level, in economics, in the political sphere and in the field of international security. It is very easy to do serious harm to cooperation, and it will be very difficult to newly develop it.
The Crimea has opened another frontier of confrontation between Russia and the West. The Syrian crisis is still tearing the Super power nations apart. Again there is palpable apprehension that Russia and the West may polarize the world with yet another proxy war. How would you react to this?
I would like to underline once again, that Russia doesn`t seek confrontation with our partners, whether in the East or the West, but on the contrary, will do everything we can to build civilized and good-neighbourly relations with all countries.
The Crimea is said to be part of Ukraine but forces said to be loyal to Russia invaded it and then organized secession vote. Is that not a violation of the sovereignty of Ukraine?
I would like to emphasize, that there was no any Russian intervention in Ukraine and Crimea. True, the President of the Russian Federation received permission from the Upper House of Parliament to use the Armed Forces in Ukraine. However, the Head of Russia didn`t use this permission.
