12 steps for the de-occupation of Crimea |
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- Crimean question is on air in the high government offices of Ukraine
- Ukrainian government’s actions in liberated Crimea
- How to respond?
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Should Russia participate in the upcoming Olympic Games? |
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- Bloody Olympics: The International Olympic Committee lacks dignity
- Russian Olympic Champions in Crime
- What to do? Paris Mayor's Statement may be a solution
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Wall Street Journalist Detained in Russia Over Spy Charges |
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- Another American Citizen Detained
- Espionage Charges Make Prisoner Exchange Negotiations Difficult
- What to Do?
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Orban – Kremlin axis on anti-LGBT cooperation |
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12 steps for the de-occupation of Crimea |
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Crimean question is on air in the high government offices of Ukraine |
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On 2nd April, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov, published 12 steps from the program for the de-occupation of Crimea, which the NSDC is working on. The official proposed broad steps on how Ukraine will de-occupy Crimea. Previously, on 20 March, the permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in the Republic of Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, said that on behalf of the President of Ukraine, the government was working on strategic steps for the reintegration of the occupied territories. This issue concerns the restoration of public authorities, judges, and law enforcement agencies, also the functioning of military administrations on the peninsula.
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Ukrainian government’s actions in liberated Crimea |
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To begin with, Danilov suggests establishing a monument to the "Russian warship" and renaming the city of Sevastopol to demolish "the place and role in the ideology of racism" of this city. In addition, the Kerch Bridge should be dismantled. A lustration mechanism of personal assessment is being developed, which determines the level of responsibility and the degree of involvement of specific people in supporting the actions of the occupiers.
According to Danilov, such people may have limited rights to participate in elections. As for the civil servants, judges, law enforcement officers, etc., who after February 2014 switched sides, the decision should be announced by the court. According to the Secretary, if they are not subject to criminal liability, they will be banned from working in the state bodies of Ukraine and will be deprived of state pensions. "Providing the Defense Forces of Ukraine and the investigation with important information related to issues of national security may be grounds for mitigating the criminal penalty," the Secretary of the National Security Council noted.
What is more, Russia or another formation that will claim legal succession ensures the unconditional and full extradition of all persons suspected of treason and other criminal offences, both citizens of Ukraine and citizens of Russia, involved in war crimes committed on the territory of Ukraine, in particular in Crimea.
At the same time, the Ukrainian side will investigate how propagandists contributed to the occupation, the militarization of children's education, and the incitement of enmity against Ukrainians and other nationalities. Citizens of the Russian Federation who illegally came to Crimea after February 2014 must immediately leave the territory of Ukraine within the time limit set by law. The property of Ukrainian citizens, which was nationalized by the Russian government should be returned to the owners after de-occupation.
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The Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea has been under Russian occupation for nine years. Despite that fact, there are still people there who are waiting for the return of Ukraine and are ready to support it. Currently, the Ukrainian government is pushing de-occupation agenda following Ukrainian counter-offensive talks. Oleksiy Danilov's proposal should be considered both as a moral pressure against pro-Russian elements and a sign for pro-Ukrainian forces to do everything possible to bring de-occupation closer.
Interestingly, the mentioned steps do not exclude peaceful de-occupation of the peninsula and are designed against pro-Russian elements only. These points are quite important for the Ukrainian government to attract local people to painlessreturn. So, Ukraine should continue de-occupation talks highlighting soft conditions for the local population and strict for Russian supporters.
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Should Russia participate in the upcoming Olympic Games? |
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Bloody Olympics: The International Olympic Committee lacks dignity |
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The issue of allowing the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Parisian Olympic Games scheduled for next year, while many Ukrainian athletes cannot do so due to the ongoing conflicts leading to death and destruction, has raised significant concerns among sports officials, athletes, and government representatives alike. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has maintained that political considerations should not influence sporting events and has, therefore, suggested that there should be no prohibition on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Games. However, this stance has been widely criticized by several countries as a departure from democratic standards.
The Ukrainian government and sports officials have vehemently called for a ban on all Russian athletes from the 2024 Olympics. They argue that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea by Russia are clear violations of international law, and allowing Russian athletes to compete sends the wrong message. They claim that Russia's continued aggression towards Ukraine and their lack of respect for international law are incompatible with the values of the Olympics. For example, the Interior Minister of Germany, Nancy Faeser, strongly criticized the decision to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. She described it as "a slap in the face" for Ukrainian athletes who have been or are going to be unable to participate in the Olympics due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
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Russian Olympic Champions in Crime |
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The reason why it is important to follow the future IOC's decision now, even though the Olympics won't be held until next year, are the so-called qualification races and tournaments. Russia and Belarus, by default, should qualify in the European Olympic Qualification Competitions, which is not to the liking of most European countries, and they are calling for a complete ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. The IOC claims that the mission of the Olympics is to unite all athletes in the name of peace, confirming that the current situation is not a problem. Just as it turns out that it is not a problem that, because of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, more than 350 sports facilities have been destroyed and 262 athletes have lost their lives.
The IOC's statement has subsequently caused an uproar and the threat of a possible boycott by more than 40 countries if Russia and Belarus attend the Olympics is current. The IOC believes that Russia and Belarus should compete under a neutral flag and neutral anthem. However, the question again remains whether this has the opposite effect. A neutral flag or anthem is not the solution because it still legitimizes the fact that it is not a problem that Russia is murdering people and not respecting democracy. So, therefore IOC would be setting a precedent by allowing Russian athletes.
It should also be added that although the IOC argues that the Olympic Games should remain apolitical, historical evidence suggests that politics has always played a significant role in the organization and participation of countries in the Games. In the past, for example, 66 countries boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in protest of the Soviet-Afghan war, 18 countries boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and 10 countries boycotted the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over allegations of human rights abuses by the Chinese government against the Uighurs.
The UN Special Rapporteur on cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki, has suggested that only athletes involved in war and on the battlefield should be banned from participating. Xanthaki said that to exclude all Russian athletes is discriminatory because there were many athletes from other countries It should be noted here that in some countries such as Israel, for example, military training is compulsory, so this argument does not make sense. Even so, there may have been cases where some athletes have served in some operations, but we are talking about smaller units of people.
In Russia, however, the reality is different. For example, of the 71 medals won by Russian athletes in Tokyo in 2021, 45 were collected by athletes associated with the army's Central Sports Club. Which once again confirms the interdependence of the Russian regime and Russian sport.
The fact also remains that 99% of the athletes who could qualify for Russia in the upcoming Olympics have never appeared or will never appear on the Ukrainian-Russian war front. It is also important to mention that most Russian athletes, somehow, must "agree" with Putin's regime, otherwise such an athlete would not have made it to any Olympics at all. It is President Putin who often boasts about the sporting achievements of Russian athletes and generally uses sports very extensively as part of his regime's propaganda. "Sport, state propaganda, and the military are inseparable in Russia. And now Putin has introduced not only politics but also war crimes into the sport..." said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Thus, the IOC's decision on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris Games remains uncertain, the IOC must take a clear position as soon as possible.
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What to do? Paris Mayor's Statement may be a solution |
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In conclusion, the debate around the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics is a complex and multifaceted issue, with broader geopolitical interests and historical precedents shaping the international community's response. The role of the IOC is crucial. The potential consequences of the decision will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the future of international sporting events and the role of politics in shaping the organization and participation of countries in the Olympics.
It should be noted that the whole situation can be resolved by a statement by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalg, who saidthat if the war in Ukraine continues, no Russian delegation should attend the Olympics in her city. Besides, although possible boycotts would probably not have brought about a change in the overall political situation, it would have been a great symbolic decision, even if it would have affected the athletes themselves the most.
At the same time, if about 35 countries did not participate in the Olympics, it would lose the meaning of hosting the Games. Therefore, it is possible to recommend to the French leadership that during the Olympic Games, they ban the entry of anyone with a Russian or Belarusian passport. It is no longer just a question of a diplomatic solution and a neutral flag, but of the complete exclusion of Russia and Belarus from the Olympics, until Russian troops leave sovereign Ukrainian territory. Judging based on individuals makes no sense. Russia is waging a war against Ukraine, not Putin himself. It is Russian aggression, a Russian war.
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Wall Street Journalist Detained in Russia Over Spy Charges |
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Another American Citizen Detained |
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On March 30, Wall Street Journalist, Evan Gershkovich, was detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage against the state. While this arrest follows recent arrests of previous American citizens such as Brittney Griner, there seems to be an escalation in the charges filed by Russia. While Griner faced “simple” charges such as drug possession, the charge of espionage that Gershkovich faces only widens the rift between Russia and the U.S.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) released in a statement on March 30 that they had supposedly, “stopped the illegal activities of US citizen Evan Gershkovich… who is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government.” This argument has been widely dismissed by the Wall Street Journal which insists that this case is a "vicious affront to a free press, and should spur outrage in all free people and governments throughout the world."
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Espionage Charges Make Prisoner Exchange Negotiations Difficult |
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Regardless of the validity of Russia's statements, no doubt navigating Gershkovich’s release will prove challenging. While Griner was released, she was held solely on drug charges, securing a safe release of Gershkovich will be substantially more challenging as Russia argues he holds, “collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.” While Russia has not provided any official evidence supporting its claims, it nonetheless shows how complicated it will be for the U.S. to secure his release.
While this is the first time that an American journalist has been detained in Russia since the Cold War, this has not deterred the Biden Administration which has vehemently opposed this detention and has demanded that Russia release him and respect the freedom of the press. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told journalists that “this espionage charge is ridiculous… the targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable.” These charges echo a surge in free press censorship in Russia, especially surrounding the war in Ukraine.
Russia has shown little respect for an openly transparent investigation of Gershkovich that only emphasizes the increasing risk of the free press in Russia. This has led to over 30 international news organizations calling for the immediate release of Gershkovich and claiming "Russia is sending the message that journalism within your borders is criminalized and that foreign correspondents seeking to report from Russia do not enjoy the benefits of the rule of law," It is hard to see how Russia is doing anything to contradict these claims with the most recent offence being the denial of a court hearing for Gershkovich.
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If Russia wants to be respected and seen as a country that respects the freedom of the press, it must immediately allow independent news organizations to have the ability to investigate and report to the Russian people. In the case of Gerschkovich, Russia must allow independent observers into the ongoing investigation and treat Gershkovich humanely, and provide him consistent access to the U.S. Embassy and representatives. As the U.S. The Embassy in Russia rightly points out, “Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, we immediately seek consular access, and seek to provide all appropriate support.”
Regardless of whether there was a crime committed, Gershkovich deserves humane conditions and the right to court hearings, and access to U.S. assistance with the progression of the case. Russia’s refusal to allow any of this only justifies the immediate release of Gershkovich and the weak standing these espionage charges hold. The U.S. and its allies must also equally demand the fair treatment of journalists across the world and reaffirm their commitments to the freedom of the press. Russia cannot be allowed to set a precedent that encourages censorship and state-sponsored propaganda.
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Orban – Kremlin axis on anti-LGBT cooperation |
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Karolína Mrázková – Dmytro Filonenko – Mariam Lashkhia - Skylar Young
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For comments. suggestions or media inquiries, please contact Kremlin Watch analyst |
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