The White House Press Secretary issued a statement Sunday afternoon rejecting the alleged “referendum” that took place today in the Crimean region of Ukraine, deciding whether the Crimea region should be a part of Russia or become an independent state. The White House said that the vote was “administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law.”
The United States has steadfastly supported the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine since it declared its independence in 1991, and we reject the “referendum” that took place today in the Crimean region of Ukraine. This referendum is contrary to Ukraine’s constitution, and the international community will not recognize the results of a poll administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law.
The White House reiterated that the presidential elections on May 25 are a “legitimate” opportunity for Ukrainians to make their voices heard:
No decisions should be made about the future of Ukraine without the Ukrainian government. Moreover, this vote was not necessary. The Ukrainian government has made clear its willingness to discuss increased autonomy for Crimea, and the presidential elections planned for May 25 provide a legitimate opportunity for all Ukrainians to make their voices heard on the future of their country.
With exit polls showing that 93% of Crimeans voted to join Russia, Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine observed:
Western electoral procedure now requires that pundits move on to a brief debate over whether the Crimea referendum gives Putin a mandate.
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) March 16, 2014
So the White House pointed out that Russia won’t let international monitors into the Crimean region:
In addition, Ukraine, the United States, the EU, the OSCE, the UN, and others have called for Russia to allow international monitors into the Crimean peninsula to ensure that the rights of ethnic Russians in Ukraine are being upheld. Russia has spurned those calls as well as outreach from the Ukrainian government and instead has escalated its military intervention into Crimea and initiated threatening military exercises on Ukraine’s eastern border.
The White House is not impressed, and rained a little UN shame on Russia:
Russia’s actions are dangerous and destabilizing. The UN Security Council recognized this in a vote yesterday that only Russia opposed. As the United States and our allies have made clear, military intervention and violation of international law will bring increasing costs for Russia – not only due to measures imposed by the United States and our allies but also as a direct result of Russia’s own destabilizing actions.
Most importantly, the international community is working together on this and won’t turn their backs:
In this century, we are long past the days when the international community will stand quietly by while one country forcibly seizes the territory of another. We call on all members of the international community to continue to condemn such actions, to take concrete steps to impose costs, and to stand together in support of the Ukrainian people and Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
This referendum is already being referred to as another step closer to war by pundits and hopeful neocons. But as we’ve seen in the past, harsh economic sanctions can be a powerful weapon.
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