1992–94 Crimean crisis
The 1992–94 Crimean Crisis was the first post-Soviet conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation[1]. The crisis was spawned by a dispute between Ukraine and Russia over the status of the Black Sea Fleet and Crimea. The dispute was largely settled in 1994, when Russia recognised Crimea as part of Ukraine. The matter of the Black Sea Fleet was settled later, in 1997, with the signing of the Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet. The dispute was revived in 2014, in the aftermath of the Ukrainian revolution, leading to a new Crimean Crisis, and the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.
Political situation in Crimea
In January 1991, in Crimean Oblast took place a sovereignty referendum on status of the region which reflected the will of people for their region to receive autonomy within the Soviet Union and participation in the New Union Treaty (also known as the Novo-Ogoryovo process). Next month, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law about reconstituting the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the Ukrainian SSR. Soon after the August Coup and declaration of the Ukrainian independence, on September 4, 1991 the Supreme Council of Crimea adopted the Declaration about state sovereignty as a democratic state within Ukraine and participant of the New Union Treaty. On December 1, 1991 over half of Crimea population who voted (~67% participated) voted for the independence of Ukraine at the All-Ukrainian referendum. After the New Union Treaty fell through and the Belavezha Accords (December 8) were concluded between Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, Crimea was grandfathered with its autonomous status within the independent Ukraine. The representatives of the National Front "Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia" protested it stating that Crimea never ceded from the USSR.[citation needed]
Status of the Black Sea Fleet
Soon after the August Coup, on August 24, 1991 the Supreme Council of Ukraine beside adopting the Act of Independence of Ukraine, it issued several other important resolutions among which was the resolution on military formations in Ukraine No.1431-XII.[2] The parliament's resolution laid its claim over all military formations of former Soviet Union located within its territory to be subordinated to the parliament of Ukraine. On September 12, 1991, the Supreme Council adopted the law about Succession of Ukraine, which declared Ukraine direct successor of the Ukrainian SSR.
On October 22, 1991, the parliament adopted in the first reading the draft law about the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Realizing the loss of great military power situated outside of the Russian SFSR, on October 28, 1991 the President of Russia Boris Yeltsin announced the following: "it is politically justified to have joint forces of the CIS under the sole control". The proposition arose wide degree of discussions which were decided to be resolved after the signing of the second new Union Treaty, now is known as Belavezha Accords. The treaty for creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States in regards to military declared saving and maintaining common military-strategic space under a single command. The parliament of Ukraine amended it with the following: "Member states of the Commonwealth of reform based on their territory units of the armed forces of the former USSR, and creating at their base their own armed forces, will cooperate in maintaining international peace and security". Few days later the newly elected President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk created the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that were to be created based on military of the Kiev, Carpathian, Odessa Soviet military districts as well as the Black Sea Fleet. Performing the duties of Commander-in-Chief were entrusted to the President of Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine assured of cooperation in military field with other states of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Ministry of Defense of not liquidated USSR.
President of Crimea
In 1990, Meshkov was elected as a deputy to the Supreme Council of Crimea (the republic's parliament). There he became the co-founder of the RDK Party (Republican movement of Crimea). In 1994, he stood at the helm of the electoral bloc "Rossiya" for the republican presidential elections, where he easily defeated in the second round of elections Mykola Bahrov who ran as an independent. At that time, Bahrov was the head of the Supreme Council of Crimea. During the second round of the 1994 Crimean presidential elections, Meshkov won with 72.9 percent of the vote, and was elected as the republic's only president.[3][4]
In 1995, the Ukrainian parliament scrapped the Crimean Constitution and abolished the post of president on 17 March.[5][6] After a couple of warnings in September and November 1994, on 17 March 1995 the President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, signed the Law of Ukraine that scrapped the amended Crimean Constitution and some other Laws of AR Crimea, on the grounds that they contradicted the Constitution of Ukraine and endangered the sovereignty of Ukraine.[citation needed]
Incident with SKR-112
See also
Further reading
- Savchenko, M. Anatomy of undeclared war. "Ukrayinska perspektyva". Kiev, 1997. ISBN 966-7243-20-6
References
- ^ Zaborsky, Victor. "Crimea and the Black Sea Fleet in Russian- Ukrainian Relations". Belfer Centre. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ Resolution on military formations in Ukraine. official document
- ^ "New developments in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine" (PDF). Assembly of WEU. 4 December 2001. p. 24. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
- ^ Bohlen, Celestine (23 March 1994). Russia vs. Ukraine: A Case of the Crimean Jitters. New York Times
- ^ Laws of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada law No. 93/95-вр: On the termination of the Constitution and some laws of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Adopted on 1995-03-17. (Ukrainian)
- ^ Staff report (19 March 1995). Ukraine Moves To Oust Leader Of Separatists.New York Times
External links
- Crimea-94. (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12). Independent Analytic Center of Geopolitical Research "Borysfen Inter" (BIntel).
- Natalya Belitser. The Constitutional Process in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in the Context of Interethnic Relations and Conflict Settlement. International Committee for Crimea
- How they divided the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. ForPost (Sevastopol portal)
- Mamchak, M. Ukraine: road to the sea (History of the Ukrainian Navy, part 7). Ukrainian life in Sevastopol.
- Balitskaya, I. Rifle from the act 1. Telekritika. June 17, 2014
- Crimea under conditions of the independent Ukraine. Center of information and documentation of Crimean Tatars.
- Holod, I. How Ukraine had beed tried to be pulled into the new Union. (part 1, 2).