France condemns conscription of Crimeans into Russian army and Putin's decree on land in Crimea
The French Embassy in Ukraine condemns the conscription of Crimean residents into the Russian army and the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin banning "foreigners" from owning land in the "border territories of Russia" in the annexed Crimea, stated the French Embassy in Ukraine on Twitter.
"These two measures (forced conscription and prohibition of foreigners to own land in Crimea), adopted by the Russian authorities in a matter of several days, perfectly illustrate the strategy of forced integration, which Russia implements in Crimea, and which completely contradicts the norms of international law," the statement reads.
On March 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin expanded the list of territories,where land that cannot be owned by "foreigners" and "foreign legal entities". The list includes most areas of annexed Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as Kerch, Yalta, Eupatoria and other coastal cities of the peninsula. The ban does not apply to three areas of Crimea - Pervomaisky, Krasnogvardeysky and Belogorsky districts. These areas do not border the mainland of Ukraine and do not have access to the Black Sea. The list did not include the Upper Nesadovsky Village Council in the Nakhimov district of Sevastopol.
The Office of the Ukrainian President for the Crimea called Putin's decree on land in Crimea a” war crime. The Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea will provide a legal assessment of this fact.
The head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov believes that Putin's decree on land ownership in the annexed Crimea will be "another disaster" for the Crimean Tatar people.
Kyiv demanded that Russia stop the conscription to its armed forces of residents of the annexed Crimea. The Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office for Crimea asks Crimeans to contact them by phone or e-mail in case of receiving conscription notices for service in the Russian army.
In February 2014, armed people in uniforms without insignias appeared in Crimea and captured the Supreme Council of Crimea, the Simferopol Airport, the Kerch ferry crossing and other strategic objects, and prevented the Ukrainian army from taking action. Initially, the Russian government refused to acknowledge that these armed people were Russian soldiers, but President Vladimir Putin later admitted it.
On 16 March 2014, a referendum on the status of Crimea was held in Crimea and Sevastopol, in which the inhabitants supposedly voted for the peninsula to become part of Russia. The outcome of the so-called referendum is not recognized by Ukraine, the EU or the US. On 18 March, Putin announced the “annexation” of Crimea to Russia.
International organizations have declared the annexation illegal and condemned Russia’s actions. Western countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia in connection with the annexation. Russia claims to have “restored historical justice”. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, declared 20 February 2014 the start of Russia’s temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol.