PLAIN-TEXT TRANSCRIPT:
PRIMER ON ILLEGAL INVASION AND ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA BY
RUSSIAN FEDERATION: VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
The Russian Federation has invaded the sovereign and inviolable territory of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The invasion and the signing of the “Treaty” by President Putin and the self-declared, illegal authorities in the Crimea on 18 March – which annexes Crimea to the Russian Federation – On the Accession of the Republic of Crimea in the Russian Federation on Forming New Constituent Entities within the Russian Federation, which will be “applied provisionally from the date of signature and shall enter into force on the date of ratification” is in flagrant violation of international law and several international treaties to which the Russian Federation is a signatory.
Below is a short, far from exhaustive, list of the most important international treaties violated by the Russian Federation.
United Nations Charter –
Article 2
3. All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.
4. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations
Article 33
1. The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice.
Helsinki Accords (Helsinki Final Act)
II. The participating States will refrain in their mutual relations, as well as in their international relations in general, from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations and with the present Declaration. No consideration may be invoked to serve to warrant resort to the threat or use of force in contravention of this principle
The treaty of friendship, cooperation and partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine (1997)
Article 2
High contracting parties according to provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and obligations under the Final act of Meeting on safety and cooperation in Europe respect territorial integrity of each other and confirm inviolability of borders existing between them.
Article 3
High contracting parties build the relations with each other on the basis of principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, peaceful settlement of disputes, the non-use of force or threat by force, including economic and different ways of pressure, the rights of the people freely to dispose of the destiny, non-interference to internal affairs, observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, cooperation between the states, fair accomplishment of the taken international obligations, and also other universally recognized norms of international law.
Budapest Memorandum (1994)
- Respect Ukrainian independence and sovereignty within its existing borders.
- Refrain from the threat or use of force against Ukraine.
- Refrain from using economic pressure on Ukraine in order to influence its politics.
