As of: March 16, 2024, 6:30 p.m
By: Florian Naumann
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Crimea remains a hot potato in the Ukraine war – nevertheless, Sergei Lavrov declares the “case” to be “closed”.
A message to the West?
Moscow – Crimea could become one of the main flashpoints in the Ukraine war: Last but not least, naval drone attacks and partisan activities around the peninsula are causing problems for Russia.
Nonetheless, on Saturday (March 16), Vladimir Putin's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared the Crimea "case" "closed" forever.
At the same time, his spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made allegations against the West in connection with the Russia election.
Putin’s Foreign Minister Lavrov declares “Crimea case” “closed”
“The case of the belonging of Crimea and Sevastopol is closed.
The peninsula is an integral part of Russia,” Lavrov emphasized
in a video message, according to the state agency
Tass .
The clip was apparently recorded on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea by Putin's Russia, which violated international law.
Sergei Lavrov and his spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at a press conference (archive photo).
© IMAGO/Valery Sharifulin
Lavrov tried to present the situation in Crimea in a decidedly positive manner.
“Over the past few years, many of the problems inherited from Ukraine have been resolved,” he said, according to the report.
The peninsula's residents can look to the future with "self-confidence and optimism" given "clear prospects for further development," Putin's top diplomat said.
Crimea “an integral part of Russia”: A new threat?
The statements can certainly be understood as a signal or a kind of threat to the West or Ukraine.
In any case, several experts see Crimea as a kind of “red line” for Putin – an impending loss could possibly be a reason for a nuclear strike, political scientist Gerhard Mangott explained to
IPPEN.MEDIA
some time ago .
Russia's military doctrine provides for a nuclear strike, among other things, "if Russia is exposed to an existential threat through the use of conventional weapons."
The location of Crimea as an “integral part of Russia” could be understood as a pointer in this direction.
However, since the beginning of the Ukraine war, there has been no shortage of indirect nuclear threats from Moscow - for example via state television.
The extent to which these should be taken seriously is also the subject of heated discussions in the course of the Taurus debate.
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On the Russia election: Lavrov's spokeswoman makes accusations against the West
There were also allegations from Lavrov's ministry on Saturday with a view to the ongoing presidential elections in Russia.
The country's "opponents" have "done everything over the past year to either disrupt the presidential election, or prevent it from taking place, or distort the concept of the elections in various ways," spokeswoman Zakharova told
Tass
.
Specifically, she spoke of “disinformation campaigns” and blocked apps from Russian organizations.
The West also uses “paid opposition members”.
“But nothing helps them,” Zakharova added.
In fact, Western democracies complain about disinformation campaigns from Russia.
Critics see the governments in Europe and North America as largely “clueless” about these dangers.
It is probably true that the outcome of the Russian election cannot be influenced either from abroad or from the Russian opposition: serious candidates opposing Vladimir Putin were not admitted, the opposition is protected by laws against criticism of the army and the Ukraine campaign, for example intimidated by repression.
Reports of more or less direct election manipulation also made the rounds early on.
(fn)