* * *
Question: What is the current political and socio-psychological situation in Crimea? What do the inhabitants of Crimea think about the war between Russia and Ukraine? Do they condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine or justify it?
Answer: The situation in Crimea is no different from the political and social situation in which the world is – people are in turmoil; they experience anxiety and anxiety. This is natural given the current situation. Russian legislation in connection with this conflict does not allow deviations from the “line of the party and government” in the minds of people.
Question: In connection with the war with Ukraine, the West has repeatedly imposed political and economic sanctions against Russia. As a result of these sanctions, the exchange rate of the Russian ruble is falling and inflation is rising. Naturally, all this has and will continue to have a negative impact on the territories controlled by Russia. How do residents of Crimea assess what is happening? Is there dissatisfaction with the worsening social situation? That is, do they show dissatisfaction?
Answer: As a result of the sanctions, there is a decrease in the standard of living throughout the Russian Federation. Prices for food, fuel, some medicines are rising. But, despite this, panic among the population in the Crimea is not yet observed. Some dare to express dissatisfaction on social networks, but no one starts holding protests, and it is unlikely to start.
Question: What are your observations, who is most often blamed by the residents of Crimea – Russia, Ukraine or the West? And how do they justify it?
Answer: Crimea is a specific region. Even before 2016, over half of the population of Crimea were Russians. There are even more of them at the moment. About 13-15% of the population of Crimea, which is the homeland of the Crimean Tatars, were representatives of this people. After the events of 2014, some of them moved to the territory of Ukraine. At the same time, a significant part of the population of Crimea – according to some sources, about 600 thousand – are pensioners, a significant part of which are retired Soviet or Russian military personnel. In addition, the work of Russian propaganda, which can be considered effective to a certain extent, and the “Crimean policy” of Ukraine, accompanied by some mistakes, determine the outcome of the dilemma – who will be blamed by a significant part of the population.
Question: The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that “the future of Crimea is connected with Russia.” We often hear such statements from Russian officials. What will the majority of the population say if a poll or a referendum is held in Crimea under the current conditions? Will they choose independence or will they want to live under the influence of Russia (as it is now), or will they prefer to reunite with Ukraine?
Answer: Not only the Press Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also all Russian officials constantly emphasize that “the Crimean issue is closed.” Of course, in the presence of such a factor, the demand of the Russian leadership for Ukraine to recognize Crimea as part of Russia may seem illogical. But, if in the current conditions a poll or a referendum were held in Crimea, then the victory of any other item other than “remain in Russia” would cause great surprise.
Question: And the last question. How can the outcome of the Russian-Ukrainian war affect the fate of Crimea?
Answer: There is no doubt that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is of crucial importance for Crimea. It should be noted that the outcome of this conflict is very important not only for Crimea, but practically for the whole world. There is no doubt that the outcome of the conflict will have a huge impact on the course of world development.
