Reminder of the 14 nations who recognize the Crimean "annexation": pic.twitter.com/UUX7n4jyxV— Casey Michel (@cjcmichel) June 16, 2015
What do these folks have in common? Democracy? Not so much. Friends of the U.S.? Definitely not so much. Indeed, hostility to US is a great unifier except there are some folks who might be hostile to the US who are not on this list including Iran.Hmm, what unifies most of these folks? ah, yes, deep love of self-determination. https://t.co/jYd9EiSSdH— Steve Saideman (@smsaideman) June 16, 2015
How about irredentists? We have a few: Afghanistan (Pashtuns do not like the Durand line), Armenia, Russia, North Korea (both as supporting irredentism and potential target of irredentism, depending on who rules a united Korea), and Sudan (if it ever tries to bring back the secessionist hunks).
My quick snark was basically suggesting that with friends like these, this particular annexation is not legitimate. Not only is the list small, but they include mostly countries that are hostile to self-determination if one includes the ability to select one's government in that concept.
I got some pushback from folks who said this is really about power relations--that Kosovo's recognizers are allies of the US.... And, of course, Kosovo ain't Crimea, but the point is almost valid. Who has recognized Kosovo other than Facebook? Over a hundred countries, including many who are not seen as neatly in the American camp. This list includes many non-democratic states, but includes many democracies, so it does not read quite like a list of countries hostile to democracy, minority rights and the like.
The Crimean Referendum was a sham and remains so. The list of recognizers, mostly experts on the art of fake elections, underlines the fraud that Russia has been perpetuating. The implausible denials still work well enough, I guess, but if something quacks like a fraud, walks like a fraud, well, it is a fraud.
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