Oliver Stone - The Putin Interviews

Background Information:

The numbers here are not fully clear in terms of relationship among areas defined and: 1. Ukrainian citizens in Russia; 2. number of citizens who used to live in the territories, and; 3. number of people remaining. As cited earlier, two and a half million Ukrainian refugees did indeed go to Russia. And as noted by a OHCHR report, three million people live in the areas directly affected by the conflict.”

See, “Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine 16 November 2015 to 15 February 2016,” Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (March 3, 2016). http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/Ukraine_13th_HRMMU_Report_3March2016.pdf

Claim: “People came, the turnout was more than 90 percent. And more than 90 percent voted in favor of re-unifying with Russia.”

Supporting: Putin is correct that well over 90% of the Crimeans who went to the polls voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia. See, “Crimeans vote over 90 percent to quit Ukraine and join Russia,” Mike Collett-White and Ronald Popeski, Reuters (Mar. 16, 2014). Retrieved at: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSBREA1Q1E820140316

Background Information:

Putin here is referring to Article 1, Section 2 of the UN Charter which reads, “To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace.” Similarly, Article I, Section 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a binding human rights instrument, provides: “All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.” As Putin indicates, this right to self-determination is not dependent on the will of the central government of any state.

Claim: “I was always wondering if Kosovars were allowed to do it, why is that not allowed to Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, and Crimeans? There is no difference whatsoever.”

Supporting: Others have, as Putin, made the comparison of the Crimean referendum to join Russia, which the US opposed, to the Kosovar referendum to secede from Serbia, which the US pushed for the point of war. See, “From Kosovo to Crimea: Obama’s Strange Position on Referendums,” Brian Cloughley, Counterpunch (July 17, 2015). Retrieved at: http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/07/17/from-kosovo-to-crimea-obamas-strange-position-on-referendums/

Claim: “ OS:Was there any UN condemnation of the annexation of Crimea?

VP:No, I don’t know anything of that.”

Contradicting: In truth, contrary to Putin’s stated recollection, the UN General Assembly did declare the Crimean referendum on secession invalid, and the UN General Assembly Human Rights Committee went so far as to condemn the annexation of Crimea by Russia. See, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47443#.WRyU3JIrLcs; http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/844707/un-committee-votes-to-condemn-russian-occupation-of-crimea

Claim: “There are two principal versions. The first version is that this plane was shot down by the Buk air defense system of the Ukrainian armed forces. And the second version is that the same system, the same system of arms—the Buk systems are produced in Russia—was employed by the militia, the separatists.”

For a discussion of the different theories as to who (whether the Ukrainian government by another plane or Russian separatists by ground-to-air projectile) may have shot down Malaysian Air Lines, Flight 17 over the Russia/Ukraine border, see, “MH17 prosecutor open to theory another plane shot down airliner,” Chicago Tribune (2017). Retrieved at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/81796669-157.html

Claim: “Now as to the aircraft, the planes which were in the air—as far as I know, right away after this terrible catastrophe, one of the Ukrainian air controllers, I think he was a specialist originating from Spain, announced that he had seen a military aircraft in the corridor assigned for civil aircraft.”

Supporting: For more on the downing on the MH17 flight, and in particular about the Spanish air traffic controller in Kiev mentioned by Putin, see, “MH17 Verdict: Real Evidence Points to US-Kiev Cover-up of Failed False Flag,” 21st Century Wire (July 25, 2014). Retrieved at: http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/07/25/mh17-verdict-real-evidence-points-to-us-kiev-cover-up-of-failed-false-flag-attack/

Background Information:

While many conspiracy theories abound in regard to George Soros’ role in Ukraine, even the well-respected Financial Times acknowledges his significant investment in Ukraine since 1990 and his open partisanship in favor of the current government in Kiev during the current crisis between Ukraine and Russia. See, “Save Ukraine to Counter Russia, Says Soros,” Christian Oliver (Jan. 7, 2015). Retrieved at: https://www.ft.com/content/4ddfb410-9664-11e4-a40b-00144feabdc0

Background Information:

Former Georgian President, Mikheil Sakashvili, who studied law in the United States, served as the Governor of Odessa from May of 2015 until his resignation in November of 2016. See, “Georgian Saakashvili quits as Ukraine Odessa governor,” BBC (Nov. 7, 2016). Retrieved at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37895588

Claim: “Yanukovych didn’t give an order to use weapons against civilians”

Supporting: Then Ukrainian President, Victor Yanukovych, later claimed that he regretted the bloodshed during the 2014 uprising, but that, as Putin claims, he never ordered weapons to be fired on demonstrators. See, “Ukraine crisis: Yanukovych regrets bloodshed in Kiev,” Gabriel Gatehouse, BBC (June 22, 2015). Retrieved at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33224138

Claim: “But I have to say that the so-called protestors were very aggressive.”

Supporting: For detail on the violence perpetrated particularly by far-right anti-government protesters in Ukraine in 2014, see, “The Ukrainian Nationalism at the Heart of ‘Euromaidan’ Coverage focused on the call for European integration has largely glossed over the rise in nationalist rhetoric that has led to violence,” Alec Luhn, The Nation (Jan. 21, 2014). Retrieved at: https://www.thenation.com/article/ukrainian-nationalism-heart-euromaidan/

Background Information

See, “Profile: Ukraine’s ultra-nationalist Right Sector,” BBC (April 28, 2014). Retrieved at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27173857

Claim: “ OS:I see. Have you heard of the Azov battalion?

VP:Yes, certainly. There are certain armed formations which are not accountable to anyone, nor are they accountable to the central authorities in Kiev. I believe that is one of the reasons why the current leadership right now cannot put an end to these hostilities. That is simply because they are frightened that these uncontrollable armed forces will return to the capital.”

Supporting: There is no dispute about the nature of the Azov battalion as a violent, neo-Nazi military organization. Indeed, Congress was so alarmed by this battalion, and the US support for it, that it passed legislation banning the US from funding and training this battalion. Incredibly, this ban was later repealed. See, “US Lifts Ban on Funding ‘Neo-Nazi’ Ukrainian Militia,” Sam Sokol, Jerusalem Post (Jan. 18, 2016). Retrieved at: http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/US-lifts-ban-on-funding-neo-Nazi-Ukrainian-militia-441884