Presidents and Russia: Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and the Russian Invasion of Crimea
It seems that with every new President comes the opinion that the previous administration had it wrong when it came to the issue of how to deal with Russia, and in 2009, following the inauguration of Barack Obama, this was once again the case. Early on in his presidency, Obama called for a "reset" in relations with Russia. The relationship between the two nations had gotten particularly bad following the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. President George W. Bush had been successful in his goal of seeing NATO expand into former Eastern bloc countries. Obama naively hoped that NATO put more of an effort into creating a long-term partnership with Russia.
By the time Obama became President, Vladimir Putin had served two consecutive terms as Russian President and the Russian Constitution prohibited him from seeking a third consecutively. The new Russian President was Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin supporter. Obama and Medvedev worked together on a new treaty to reduce and monitor nuclear weapons. Obama also supported Russian membership in the World Trade Organization, and the two nations sought to cooperate on counterterrorism. Perhaps the high point of this relationship occurred on April 8, 2010, when Obama and Medvedev signed the New START treaty, a major nuclear arms control agreement that reduced the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both countries and provided for a monitoring regime. In December 2010, the Senate ratified New START in a 71–26 vote, with 13 Republicans and all Democrats voting in favor of the treaty. In 2012, Russia joined the World Trade Organization and Obama normalized trade relations with Russia.
Obama's candor with the Russian president was perhaps best reflected in a "hot-mic moment" between the two, when Obama told Medvedev: "This is my last election. And after my election, I have more flexibility."
Medvedev and Putin had an agreement that when Medvedev's term in office had ended, Putin would once again seek the Presidency of his nation. Putin was once again elected President of Russia in 2012, once again amid allegations of election fraud. Putin's return meant a decline in relations between the two countries, and the Russian leader once again adopted a policy of military intervention against states that had once been a part of the former Soviet Union.
Crimea had become part of the Russian Empire in 1783, when the Crimean Khanate was annexed during the reign of Catherine the Great. It remained a part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic until 1954. There had been a series of unsuccessful attempts at independence, but after the Second World War the Crimean state was stripped of its autonomy in 1946. In 1954, Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian state by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's union with Russia. The action was attributed to Nikita Khrushchev. In 1989, during Mikhaul Gorbachev's time of "perestroika", the Supreme Soviet declared that the deportation of the Crimean Tatars under Joseph Stalin had been illegal and the mostly Muslim ethnic group was allowed to return to Crimea.
In 1991, a referendum was held on the question of whether Crimea should became an independent republic on its own. The dissolution of the Soviet Union had restored Crimea as part of Soviet Ukraine before Ukrainian independence. Newly independent Ukraine maintained Crimea's autonomous status, and the Supreme Council of Crimea affirmed the peninsula's "sovereignty" as a part of Ukraine.
In September 2008, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko accused Russia of giving out Russian passports to the population in Crimea. On August 24, 2009, anti-Ukrainian demonstrations were held in Crimea by ethnic Russian residents. Some members of the Crimean parliament who were Russian supporters called for Russia to act to reannex Crimea. Crimea is populated by an ethnic Russian majority and a minority of both ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. Demographically it possesses one of Ukraine's largest ethnically Russian populations. Many observers in the region believed that it was only a matter of time before Russia would act to annex Crimea and that this would likely be done under the pretense of defending Russians in the region. Putin's re-election proved to be the catalyst for this.
On February 22-23, 2014, Putin held an all-night meeting with security service chiefs to discuss assisting the deposed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych with leaving the country. In the meeting, Putin declared that it was time to "start working on returning Crimea to Russia." Shortly after this. pro-Russian demonstrations were held in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
On February 27, masked Russian troops without insignia took control of the Supreme Council (parliament) of Crimea. They also captured strategic sites across Crimea and installed the pro-Russian Sergey Aksyonov government in Crimea. The new government held a quick referendum and then declared Crimea's independence on March 16, 2014. Following the annexation, Russia escalated its military presence on the Crimean peninsula.
Ukraine and many other countries protested and condemned the annexation, considering it to be a violation of international law as well as a breach of Russian agreements to safeguard the territorial integrity of Ukraine. These included the 1991 Belavezha Accords, the 1975 Helsinki Accords, the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances and the 1997 Treaty on friendship, cooperation and partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
In response, members of what was then known as the G8 to suspend Russia membership in the group. Economic sanctions were introduced against Russia. The United Nations General Assembly also condemned the annexation, adopting a resolution affirming the "territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders." In response, President Putin referred to the referendum and said that Russian actions were in accord with the principle of self-determination of peoples, ignoring of course the fact that the referendum was preceded by Russian military action.
The sanctions contributed to a Russian financial crisis, on which hurt the Russian economy and the Russian people. In the United States, some members of Congress from both parties also called for the US to arm Ukrainian forces. Obama resisted these pleas.
As with many modern wars, oil was involved. Russia's seizing of Crimea gave Russia access to greater oil and gas reserves and deprived Ukraine of its potential for energy independence.
Two years before the invasion, in the 2012 Presidential election campaign, Republican candidate Mitt Romney appeared on CNN and made a statement that he would become widely mocked for. Romney told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "Russia, this is, without question, our number one geopolitical foe. They fight every cause for the world's worst actors." In response, Obama said that the remark showed Romney was hopelessly out of touch when it came to the threats facing the US. In the third presidential debate between the two candidates in October 2012, Obama attacked Romney for that remark, stating: "When you were asked, 'What's the biggest geopolitical threat facing America,' you said 'Russia.' Not al Qaeda; you said Russia. And, the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back, because the Cold War's been over for 20 years."
As CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza has recently written however, "Today, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into eastern Ukraine, Romney's comments look very, very different. And by 'different,' I mean 'right,' as even some Democrats are now acknowledging. This action by Putin further confirms that Mitt Romney was right when he called Russia the number one geopolitical foe."
By the time Obama became President, Vladimir Putin had served two consecutive terms as Russian President and the Russian Constitution prohibited him from seeking a third consecutively. The new Russian President was Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin supporter. Obama and Medvedev worked together on a new treaty to reduce and monitor nuclear weapons. Obama also supported Russian membership in the World Trade Organization, and the two nations sought to cooperate on counterterrorism. Perhaps the high point of this relationship occurred on April 8, 2010, when Obama and Medvedev signed the New START treaty, a major nuclear arms control agreement that reduced the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both countries and provided for a monitoring regime. In December 2010, the Senate ratified New START in a 71–26 vote, with 13 Republicans and all Democrats voting in favor of the treaty. In 2012, Russia joined the World Trade Organization and Obama normalized trade relations with Russia.
Obama's candor with the Russian president was perhaps best reflected in a "hot-mic moment" between the two, when Obama told Medvedev: "This is my last election. And after my election, I have more flexibility."
Medvedev and Putin had an agreement that when Medvedev's term in office had ended, Putin would once again seek the Presidency of his nation. Putin was once again elected President of Russia in 2012, once again amid allegations of election fraud. Putin's return meant a decline in relations between the two countries, and the Russian leader once again adopted a policy of military intervention against states that had once been a part of the former Soviet Union.
Crimea had become part of the Russian Empire in 1783, when the Crimean Khanate was annexed during the reign of Catherine the Great. It remained a part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic until 1954. There had been a series of unsuccessful attempts at independence, but after the Second World War the Crimean state was stripped of its autonomy in 1946. In 1954, Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian state by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's union with Russia. The action was attributed to Nikita Khrushchev. In 1989, during Mikhaul Gorbachev's time of "perestroika", the Supreme Soviet declared that the deportation of the Crimean Tatars under Joseph Stalin had been illegal and the mostly Muslim ethnic group was allowed to return to Crimea.
In 1991, a referendum was held on the question of whether Crimea should became an independent republic on its own. The dissolution of the Soviet Union had restored Crimea as part of Soviet Ukraine before Ukrainian independence. Newly independent Ukraine maintained Crimea's autonomous status, and the Supreme Council of Crimea affirmed the peninsula's "sovereignty" as a part of Ukraine.
In September 2008, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko accused Russia of giving out Russian passports to the population in Crimea. On August 24, 2009, anti-Ukrainian demonstrations were held in Crimea by ethnic Russian residents. Some members of the Crimean parliament who were Russian supporters called for Russia to act to reannex Crimea. Crimea is populated by an ethnic Russian majority and a minority of both ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. Demographically it possesses one of Ukraine's largest ethnically Russian populations. Many observers in the region believed that it was only a matter of time before Russia would act to annex Crimea and that this would likely be done under the pretense of defending Russians in the region. Putin's re-election proved to be the catalyst for this.
On February 22-23, 2014, Putin held an all-night meeting with security service chiefs to discuss assisting the deposed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych with leaving the country. In the meeting, Putin declared that it was time to "start working on returning Crimea to Russia." Shortly after this. pro-Russian demonstrations were held in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
On February 27, masked Russian troops without insignia took control of the Supreme Council (parliament) of Crimea. They also captured strategic sites across Crimea and installed the pro-Russian Sergey Aksyonov government in Crimea. The new government held a quick referendum and then declared Crimea's independence on March 16, 2014. Following the annexation, Russia escalated its military presence on the Crimean peninsula.
Ukraine and many other countries protested and condemned the annexation, considering it to be a violation of international law as well as a breach of Russian agreements to safeguard the territorial integrity of Ukraine. These included the 1991 Belavezha Accords, the 1975 Helsinki Accords, the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances and the 1997 Treaty on friendship, cooperation and partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
In response, members of what was then known as the G8 to suspend Russia membership in the group. Economic sanctions were introduced against Russia. The United Nations General Assembly also condemned the annexation, adopting a resolution affirming the "territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders." In response, President Putin referred to the referendum and said that Russian actions were in accord with the principle of self-determination of peoples, ignoring of course the fact that the referendum was preceded by Russian military action.
The sanctions contributed to a Russian financial crisis, on which hurt the Russian economy and the Russian people. In the United States, some members of Congress from both parties also called for the US to arm Ukrainian forces. Obama resisted these pleas.
As with many modern wars, oil was involved. Russia's seizing of Crimea gave Russia access to greater oil and gas reserves and deprived Ukraine of its potential for energy independence.
Two years before the invasion, in the 2012 Presidential election campaign, Republican candidate Mitt Romney appeared on CNN and made a statement that he would become widely mocked for. Romney told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "Russia, this is, without question, our number one geopolitical foe. They fight every cause for the world's worst actors." In response, Obama said that the remark showed Romney was hopelessly out of touch when it came to the threats facing the US. In the third presidential debate between the two candidates in October 2012, Obama attacked Romney for that remark, stating: "When you were asked, 'What's the biggest geopolitical threat facing America,' you said 'Russia.' Not al Qaeda; you said Russia. And, the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back, because the Cold War's been over for 20 years."
As CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza has recently written however, "Today, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into eastern Ukraine, Romney's comments look very, very different. And by 'different,' I mean 'right,' as even some Democrats are now acknowledging. This action by Putin further confirms that Mitt Romney was right when he called Russia the number one geopolitical foe."