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In this week’s version: Ukraine’s independence and the Crimean summit, the Belarusian border and the Kabul attack.
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Although the geopolitics of Russia’s annexation of Crimea are very important, people should not turn a blind eye to the plight of the Crimean Tatar community. So far, this has had little impact on international public opinion.
Five years ago, a Dark song Jamala is a Ukrainian singer of Crimean Tatar descent. He tells the story of the mass deportation of Crimean Tatars from Crimea to Central Asia under the order of Stalin in 1944. He won the Eurovision Song Contest. A continental celebration that is usually quite joyful.
However, it immediately aroused opposition from Russian officials, who claimed it was a hidden attack on the Kremlin.
Jamara said that her song has nothing to do with recent developments in Crimea, but for the Crimean Tatars, the song has become a rallying cry.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after its military invasion, eager to realize its century-long desire to enter the strategically important Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Many Crimean Tatars are indigenous Muslim communities on the Black Sea Peninsula, accounting for nearly 15% of Crimea’s 2.3 million population, and they remain vigilant towards Russia. The Tatars strongly opposed Moscow’s rule in a mandatory referendum widely regarded as a fig leaf of illegal invasion, which put the future of the peninsula in Moscow’s hands.
As a result, they paid the price for their loyalty to Ukraine.
Since then, it is estimated that more than 30,000 Tatars have fled Crimea, while the lives of the remaining 250,000 Tatars have collapsed. Many of them have been deprived of work, culture and language, and faced political representation.
Moscow began to discriminate against them and other opponents of annexation and prosecute politically motivated ones for fabricated extremism, separatism, or joining a banned organization. Many Tatar militants and journalists have been arrested, and some have disappeared.
“In recent years, we have witnessed more and more Crimean solidarity activists becoming victims of persecution,” Maria Tomac of the Human Rights Media Initiative told reporters in Kiev.
The Crimean Solidarity Organization is a citizens’ human rights initiative created in 2017 to support the families of Crimean Tatar activists and journalists who have been persecuted.
Russia has banned the main representative body of the Crimean Tatars Melis, And some religious groups that are considered Islamic terrorist organizations. But Moscow strongly opposes allegations of discrimination against Crimean Tatars.
In 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Ruling to close Melis Was wrong and called on Russia to authorize them to continue the meeting, but the ruling was ignored. Since then, many of their members have fled to self-exile on the Ukrainian mainland.
According to local human rights organizations, there are already more than 100 political prisoners on the peninsula, some of whom have been convicted with sentences ranging from 12 to 18 years.
Just last week, the Russian authorities Five Crimean Tatars detained After their home was searched in the Crimea region controlled by Russia in Ukraine. A dozen or so Human Rights Organization Require Russia releases detained Crimean Tatars, But to no avail.
Tomac said: “We are dealing with submissions for sanctions against human rights violations in Crimea, and we are asking countries that have their own mechanisms to cover not only the occupation of Crimea or illegal infrastructure projects, but also human rights.” Refer to the United States, Canada and the European Union Magnitsky style Sanctions regime.
Alim Aliev, a human rights activist and co-founder of the Crimean SOS initiative, told reporters that human rights violations are “just the tip of the iceberg”.
“What we are witnessing is the neocolonization of Europe,” he said.
Activists say Crimea has also become one of Russia’s so-called passporting targets and confiscated more than $1 billion in real estate and other assets, including banks, research institutions, shipyards and other economic assets.
Another russian decree Effective in 2020, people without Russian citizenship are prohibited from owning land on all territories of the peninsula that can enter the Black Sea.
At the same time, in Ukraine, the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has worked hard to show support for Crimea. Crimean officials and residents have long complained about Kiev’s neglect and even Before the invasion.
A recent law, Zelenskiy proposed to protect the rights of Crimean Tatars and other indigenous people to receive education in their mother tongue, protect their historical heritage, establish their own media channels, and establish representative institutions to defend their interests.
“We know that Russia will not talk about Crimea right now, but I think we have an obligation to create some kind of platform, where we unite with international partners who support Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and we can discuss Crimea’s mechanisms for dismantling occupations and Reintegrate into society,” Tomac said.
“When that moment comes, under pressure, Russia will be ready for dialogue, and we will have a very, very specific way to reintegrate into Crimea.”
However, the status quo in Crimea still exists. Seven years after the Russian occupation, the human rights situation has continued to deteriorate, but no one has taken action to prevent the slow cultural and genocide of the Crimean Tatars.
The international community, including the European Union and NATO, condemned Russia’s annexation of Crimea and refused to recognize it, but it has achieved little effect so far.
In order to draw the attention of the international community to its destiny, Ukraine recently established the Crimea platform, which held The first meeting in Kiev last week, aim Efforts to put Crimea back under Ukrainian control have bundled together and increased international pressure on Russia.
The question is, will it succeed?
Putin has made it clear that he believes that the annexation of Crimea is a non-negotiable fait accompli.
The summit leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine’s message, but the big names Merkel and Macron were gone. In fact, many Western Europeans only have ambassadors.
→ More reports from Kiev:
EU in the world
Kabul attack | As Afghanistan plunges further into chaos, with at least two explosions and gunshots in the Kabul airport area, the EU Interior Minister is scheduled to hold another emergency meeting in Afghanistan next Tuesday, but EU officials say they are unlikely to reach an agreement with as many people as possible. Afghan refugees that the EU may accept.
At the same time, 76 mostly left-leaning EU legislators from nearly a dozen countries Sent a letter Call on the European Union to immediately provide temporary protection for Afghans, refer to the “Temporary Protection Directive.” Although the mechanism has never been used before, the EU’s chief diplomat Joseph Borrell recommended its use last week, which would allow the EU to provide immediate protection for specific refugee categories.
At the same time, in Germany, the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan has raised concerns about the recurrence of the German refugee crisis in 2015, as the country is pushing for the evacuation of vulnerable Afghans and local staff. But according to academics and civil society, This worry is unfounded.
At the G7 summit earlier this week, EU leaders urged US President Joe Biden to continue to ensure the safety of Kabul Airport until the evacuation of vulnerable Afghans is completed after the August 31 deadline. Obviously unsuccessful.
Belarusian border | The European Court of Human Rights requires Poland and Latvia Provide help and care Provided assistance to dozens of Afghan and Iraqi immigrants stranded at the Belarusian border.
Lithuania says it will complete 508 kilometers of fence on its border with Belarus By September 2022 Stop immigration, and Poland says Will also build a fence Along part of its border with Belarus and double the number of troops there.
Defensive angle
Next crisis | EU Chief Diplomat Joseph Borrell has argued that the fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the chaotic international evacuation efforts show that Europe needs to develop its own military capabilities independent of the United States.For him, this must include a Deployable Joint Military Response Force.
Two percent | In view of developments in Afghanistan, CSU boss Markus Söder called on Germany to develop a new military operations strategy. “The belief that you can only participate in international missions through training and medical services has proven to be a fallacy in terms of security policy,” Soder told Sunday photos.
In order to be politically relevant and taken seriously, Germany must participate in sound actions. “For this, we ultimately need new weapon systems, such as armed drones,” the CSU chairman said, adding that due to the veto of the Social Democratic Party leadership, “we can’t use these weapon systems to protect our own soldiers.”
Soder also stated that he hopes to increase defense spending after the federal election: “We will require 2% of GDP to be used for new deployment strategies in the defense budget and alliance agreements. “
“Geopolitical weapons”? | Earlier this week in Kiev, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for an agreement to extend Russia’s natural gas transit through Ukraine in an attempt to allow Kiev to gain access to the near-completed North Stream 2 gas pipeline and, more recently, Germany. The U.S. agreement is relieved, and some people have explained it. In Eastern Europe, it’s like playing on the hands of Moscow.
However, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy (Volodymyr Zelenskiy) Don’t believe it and call these ideas “too general”He will visit President Biden at the White House for the first time next week, and this issue may become the central topic of negotiations.
Biden is still reluctant to sanction German or European companies, and risks rifts with Berlin and Brussels.
At the same time, the Nord Stream 2 offshore natural gas pipeline is not subject to EU rules, which require pipeline owners to be different from the natural gas suppliers flowing into the pipeline to ensure fair competition. German court ruled this week.
What are we still reading
On our radar for the next few days…
As the daily affairs of Europe wake up from the summer vacation, we will keep you up to date with all relevant EU foreign affairs news.
- Television debate between candidates to succeed German Chancellor Merkel
| Sunday, August 29, 2021 | Berlin, Germany - Biden meets with Ukrainian President Zelensky
| Monday, August 30, 2021 | Washington, DC, USA - EU Interior Ministers meet on Afghanistan
| Tuesday, August 31, 2021 | Brussels, Belgium - The U.S. is expected to complete its withdrawal
| Tuesday, August 31, 2021 | Kabul, Afghanistan - Joint meeting of the AFET and DEVE committees of the European Parliament and the delegation of Afghanistan
| Wednesday, September 1, 2021 | Brussels, Belgium - British aircraft carrier strike group port of call
| Wednesday, September 1, 2021 | Japan - Informal Meeting of Ministers of Defense
| September 1 to 2, 2021, Wednesday to Thursday | Kranj, Slovenia - Bled Strategy Forum
| September 1 to 2, 2021, Wednesday to Thursday | Lake Bled, Slovenia - Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers (Gymnich)
| September 2 to 3, 2021, Wednesday to Thursday | Kranj, Slovenia
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