On June 22, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reporters, “Russia doesn’t have any territorial claims against its neighbors.” He was commenting on President Vladimir Putin’s remarks in an interview for the documentary film "Russia. Kremlin. Putin." broadcast by Rossiya-1 state television on June 21.
In the documentary, that with the Soviet Union’s breakup in 1991, some of the newly independent former Soviet republics took away “Russia's traditionally historic territories" they had acquired while part of the Soviet Union. These states should have “left with what they arrived, rather than taking with them gifts from the Russian people,” Putin said.
Putin claimed that when the Soviet Union was created, the right to leave it was written into its founding documents, but the procedure for quitting was not specified.
"Putin talked about previous systemic mistakes in the constitution that failed to envision a whole number of situations, developments which could have negative consequences for our state," . He declined to comment on Putin's use of the word "gifts" but stated:
“No, Russia doesn’t have any territorial claims against its neighbors.”
That is misleading. Call it “claims” or not, Russia’s territorial meddling with neighbors is fact.
Let’s start with some Soviet history and international law.
The former Soviet republics emerged as independent states within the territories they possessed before the disintegration of the Soviet Union, following the principle Uti possidetis juris – Latin for "as you possess under law." According to international law, “new states will come to independence with the same boundaries that they had when they were administrative units within the territory or territories of one colonial power.” has been applied in numerous regions, such as South America, Africa, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.
During its roughly 70-year existence, the Soviet Union’s borders changed many times. They expanded in the 1930s and 1940s with annexation of the Baltic states, Bessarabia, Eastern Galicia and Karelia, to name a few. Its internal borders were by creating or abolishing autonomous republics. Abkhazia became an autonomous republic in Georgia in 1931, the Karakalpak Autonomous Republic was made part of Uzbekistan in 1936. Crimea was transferred from Russia to Ukraine in 1954.
In the 1940s, the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) was at first divided between Stavropol Krai, the Dagestani ASSR, the North Ossetian ASSR, and the Georgian SSR, then restored in 1957. Finally, in May 1991, it was declared the independent Checheno-Ingush Republic and subsequently split into the Chechen Republic and the Republic of Ingushetia.
The 15 Soviet republics, as defined by the December 1922 treaty creating the Soviet Union, became independent states within their existing borders, which became international borders.
In the documentary, did not specify which of the former republics took “gifts,” but it can be assumed he meant Crimea. The peninsula has had multiple identities over time.
The Russian Empire annexed from the Ottoman Empire in 1783. Under Soviet rule, Crimea became an autonomous republic within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. In 1954, the peninsula was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR.
Between February and March 2014, Russia took over. The was preceded by a hybrid warfare campaign involving masked Russian soldiers, the so-called “” who supported local radicals. On March 16, 2014, Russia conducted a for Crimea and Sevastopol to join Russia. Two days after the referendum, the Russian Federation signed a treaty of accession for Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
Since then, these have been administered as two Russian federal subjects – the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol. (A United Nations resolution supported by 100 countries condemned the 2014 Crimean annexation, and the United States and others have imposed economic on Russia as punishment.)
Russia’s de facto annexation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia dates to 2008. The two autonomous republics fought wars in the early 1990s. Following a ceasefire between Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Tbilisi (Georgia) in 1992, and between Sukhumi (Abkhazia) and Tbilisi in 1994, Russian peacekeepers were deployed in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. These territories remained beyond the control of Georgia’s central government, and the local de facto authorities enjoyed Russian protection and influence.