Those Ready to Accept Russia's Occupation of Crimea as Legitimate Signing Death Warrant for Crimean Tatars, Chubarov Says

 Paul Goble

    Staunton, Mar. 11 -- Eleven years ago this month, Putin militarily occupied and then annexed Crimea and revived the Stalinist policy of Russianizatin gthe peninsula by sending in more Russians and especially Russian forces and working to destroy the Crimean Tatars as a distinct nationality, Refat Chubarov says

    Now, in the rush to find an end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some in the West are ready to recognize Moscow's occupation and treatment of Crimea as legitimate, the head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis says, and thereby are consciously or unconsciously signing the death warrant for his nation. 

    They will thus be assisting in the continuation of hte occupation of Crimea by Russia and helping Putin and his minions to achieve what even Stalin and his successors weren't able to do: "the final destruction of the Crimean Tatar people" (idelreal.org/a/rossiya-opredelila-krymskih-tatar-kak-obekt-kotoryy-podlezhit-vytesneniyu-refat-chubarov-o-vospriyatii-anneksii-krymskimi-tatarami/33338241.html).

    Chubarov says that he hopes and prays for a future in when Russian forces will have withdrawn from Crimea and allowed his people to return to a normal life. At that point, the approximately one million Russians who have been inserted by Moscow will have to leave because "they know that they have been settled on stolen land."

    Once that is achieved, then Crimea will be able to have "a normal democratic life in correspondence with Ukrainian laws" and will act according to international norms. "Ukraine will be a member of the EU and no one will e ver be able to restrict in any way the rights of indigenous peoples" like the Crimean Tatars.

    Because so many in the West are convinced that a ceasefire will be possible only if the West recognizes as legitimate Russian rule in Crimea, something Putin says is not subject to negotiation, few in the West now talk about he Crimean Tatars -- even though they would be among the chief victims if Putin gets his way.

    Chubarov's words aobut what will happen if hte international system does not require Russia to withdraw to its 1991 borders are a reminder of just what those prepared to give in to Putin on this issue are doing by their silent acquiescence and how they are thereby becoming acessories to the Kremlin leader's crimes.