The invader continues to brutalize a Ukrainian territory. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed the other day a decree to abolish the “Crimean Federal District” and make it part of the Southern Federal District of Russia in order “to increase the effectiveness of the federal bodies of government.” Besides, Putin appointed Vladimir Ustinov as the Russian president’s plenipotentiary representative in the Southern Federal District (SFD). Who are the Crimeans to keep company with? The SFD now includes the Republic of Adygeа, the Republic of Kalmykia, the occupied Crimea, Krasnodar Krai, Astrakhan Oblast, Volgograd Oblast, Rostov Oblast, and the occupied Sevastopol. It will be recalled that Russia established the “Crimean Federal District” after annexing Ukraine’s Crimea in March 2014.
Well, as Andrii Klimenko noted wittingly in his Facebook page, “on the whole, it is far easier now: we’ll be getting back Crimea together with the historical Ukrainian lands Kuban and Don.”
“RUSSIA’S LEADERSHIP HAS DOOMED THE OCCUPIED CRIMEA TO THE FATE OF OTHER, PROPERLY RUSSIAN, TERRITORIES”
Refat CHUBAROV, Chairman, Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, (from facebook.com):
“Abolishing the Crimean Federal District and making ‘the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol’ part of the Southern Federal District shows that Russia’s topmost political leadership has doomed the occupied Crimea to the fate of other, properly Russian, territories viewed as objects of a ruthless unified governmental policy, when ethnic or historical diversity, cultural or linguistic particularities will only serve as a disguise until this territory is fully cleaned up to the standards of the ‘Russian world.’
“And no one has any illusions now about the ‘Russian world’s’ standards and boundaries in Putin’s imagination…
“Russia is in for the times of trouble…”
“IT IS THE FINAL SWALLOWING AND DIGESTION OF CRIMEA IN THE EMPIRE’S STOMACH”
Maksym ROZUMNY, chairman, Center for Research of Russian Problems:
“It is the final swallowing and digestion of Crimea in the empire’s stomach. Moscow’s policy about the occupied peninsula is changing from ‘honeymoon’ to tough everyday life, when it is necessary to spend money but there is no motivation at all to maintain Crimea’s ‘special status.’ As Russian Premier Medvedev said, ‘we’ve got no money, but you just hold on.’ The occupiers have already fully benefited from Crimea: it is now strewn with military bases and army groupings, palaces have been renovated, property has been left behind or transferred to new owners. But all the rest is of little concern for the new master of the situation.
“Another side of the matter is unexpected for the Russian leadership. It was expected that, after the annexation of Crimea, the aggression against Ukraine and the attempt to disintegrate it, Russia would keep up its status in the world, gas- and petrodollars would go on flowing like water into the budget, world leaders would be meeting Putin, and Russia would demand ‘respect.’ In this case one could count on a different policy – with ‘special districts,’ Olympic ambitions, etc. But reality is just the reverse: Russia is on the verge of international isolation and economic, social, political, and other depression. This creates new problems which call for centralization – such as abolition of the ‘Crimean District,’ enlargement of Russia’s administrative units, and ‘belt tightening.’ A bitter rivalry begins in the milieu of political and military elites.”
