The Crimean Peninsula in Relations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine Cover Image

Półwysep Krymski w stosunkach między Federacją Rosyjską i Ukrainą
The Crimean Peninsula in Relations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine

Author(s): Andrzej Szeptycki
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Krym; Morze Czarne; stosunki rosyjsko-ukraińskie; Flota Czarnomorska; Crimea; Black Sea; russian-ukrainian relations; Black Sea Fleet

Summary/Abstract: The Crimean Peninsula is one of potentially trouble spots in the territory of the former USSR. This results from three basic reasons. The fi rst one is history. Crimea has never been part of the ethnic Ukrainian lands. Since the end of the 18th century it was part of Russia and was annexed to the USSR due to strictly political decision of 1954. In the times of the USSR, the fact that Crimea formally belonged to Ukraine did not cause problems. The situation signifi - cantly changed after 1991. The second factor is Russia’s policy. The Russian Federation seeks to use Crimea’s specifi cs to have more infl uence over Ukraine and to weaken its position in the international arena. At the same time, it makes efforts to strengthen its infl uences on the peninsula. Finally, Ukraine’s policy is important as well: it did not undertake consequent measures to settle the Crimean issue – both on domestic level and Ukrainian-Russian level. Among the most important problems concerning the peninsula in the past twenty years one should mention territorial revendication of part of the Russian political class, stationing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and separatist aspirations of the Russian local community. It was only in 1997 that Russia and Ukraine confi rmed the common border in a treaty; however beforethat date and after , there were opinions formulated in Russia that Crimea as well as Sevastopol were included in Ukraine’s borders unlawfully; up to this day the delimitation and demarcation process of the maritime border between two countries has not been completed. Also in 1997 Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement on the division of the post-Soviet Black Sea Fleet. The Ukrainian authorities agreed on further stationing of the Russian part of the fl eet in Ukraine – initially by 2017, then at least by 2042. Its presence is a signifi cant challenge for Ukraine – both on political and military levels. Ethnically, the Crimean Peninsula is mostly Russian. In the 1990s its inhabitants, discretely supported by Russia, took actions to become at least partly independent from Ukraine. The problem was solved in the twilight of the decade, however Russia still uses the presence of the Russian community in Crimea to strengthen its position in the region and infl uence Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy. After the presidential elections in Ukraine in 2010, and assuming the offi ce by President Yanukovych, strength of the disputes about Crimea declined. Bilateral relations improved, although both states still differ, in particular as to energy cooperation, relations of Ukraine with the EU or its potential accession to the Customs Union. If bilateral relations deteriorate or the authorities in Ukraine change, „the Crimean problem” may again play an essential role in the Ukrainian-Russian relations.

  • Issue Year: 47/2013
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 109-131
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Polish