Foreign policy

Moscow celebrates the annexation of the Crimea

Two years ago, the Crimea has been officially included in the Russian Federation. International the International is not recognized. Moscow is celebrating the anniversary with a concert and conceals the negative consequences of the annexation.

With balloons, banners and signs, people passing by on the banks of the Moskva river. Anyone who has not yet Transparent, meets in small groups. “We get the same still-air balloons?”, a woman asks her comrades-in-arms.

Your goal this Friday in the space behind the Kremlin in Moscow, on the concert “my wmeste” (dt.: we together). For the second Time Russia celebrates the anniversary of the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation. Also friends from Syria. A small group of Arab onlookers shows Syrian flags and Assad photos.

To have the official event, tens of thousands of participants on the square behind the St. Basil’s Cathedral, the landmark of Moscow, gathered together. To estimate the exact number is difficult. It’s a big mess. People leave with their signs and flags on the course and others are added, as they would alternate. The Russian singer Iossif Kobzon is one of the Stars of the concert and acts as the first. Kobzon is for 2015 on the sanctions list of the EU.

“Putin as the Savior of the Crimea” is some of the posters and visitors to the Celebration

Two years after the annexation

On stage Stars and politicians want the Russians to find a “happy holiday” and to call “the Crimea belongs to us” in the crowd. Gennady Zyuganov, the party and the leader of the Communists, recalls that the annexation of Crimea not a single shot had fallen – although there are 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been under arms.

Two years ago, the Crimea had been included officially in the Russian Federation. The was preceded by a week-long crisis After the fall of the pro-Russian Yanukovych government in Kiev, after the victory of the pro-European movement on the Maidan, showed up on the Crimean Peninsula, soldiers without insignias. The so-called “green men” occupied strategically important points, disarmed and expelled the Ukrainian military. The Kremlin denied that the fighters were Russian soldiers. In a Referendum, nearly 97 percent of Crimean residents were finally, for the connection to Russia according to the Russian authorities.

EU complains about restricted rights to freedom

The EU and the USA have not recognised the Referendum. The annexation of Crimea and Russia’s subsequent support for separatists in Eastern Ukraine have triggered the biggest crisis between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold war. On the anniversary of the EU defendant in a joint explanation of all 28 heads of state and government, the situation in the Crimea: The citizens ‘ rights and freedoms were restricted, since the annexation, the minority of the Crimean Tatars suffer from political persecution.

On stage in Moscow, any negative aspects will be omitted. Even before the start of the concert at least every ten minutes appears in the speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation two years ago. The orchestra on the stage plays every Time a flourish.

In the last year, the Russian President was in on it self at the concert to celebrate the anniversary in Moscow. This time, he is connected – from the Crimea.

Highly visible during the Celebration, Vladimir Putin

President Putin had flown to the Crimea and visited the site for the construction of that bridge, which will connect the Crimean Peninsula with the Russian mainland. In three years, the 19-kilometre-long bridge construction to be finished. It is urgently needed, because the supply of the Crimea provides Russia with major challenges. Putin described the construction as “historical Mission”. After the annexation of the Peninsula, the Ukraine had cut off electricity and gas supply. Since then, there have been difficulties.

In your editorial on the anniversary of the business newspaper “Vedomosti has termed” the annexation of Crimea as a serious mistake, because Russia is going to be debited in economic and foreign policy, watching.

Russians behind Crimea action

Even if more and more Russians in the aftermath of the deep economic crisis, eight out of ten Russians and the annexation of Crimea. The Crimea is Moscow’s boarders. Russia wants and needs to invest billions in the infrastructure and the bases for its military to expand. Criticism of this course is only very rarely loud.

However, the mood at the concert in Moscow seems to be not as good as the polls. The applause to Putin’s words on the giant screens comes mostly from the first few rows in front of the stage. In the back rows of the people standing around, rather, only with their flags and posters. Also, the cheering more likely to come from in front of the stage, where most of the party Banner to be waved.

Shortly before the end of the concert, the place is emptying already. Then the Russian national anthem is heard, and suddenly many people are flocking back to the square, keep their posters in the air and sing. However, before the choir has sung on the stage, even to the end, wrapped up the first posters and flags, rolled together.