Changes

'''Sevastopol''' is the home of the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet. The Port of Sevastopol is one of only three deep water ports - and its primary year round port - that gives the vast Russian territory access to the outside world. Murmansk on the [[Arctic Ocean]] is frozen six months out of the year, and [[Vladivostok]] on the [[Pacific Ocean]] is only accessible from European Russia via a six day train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Sevastopol gives Russia access to the [[Mediterranean Sea]], the [[Middle East]], [[Southern Europe]] and [[Africa]] via the [[Dardanelles]]. Hence Sevastopol is of vital [[commercial]], trade and [[national security]] importance to the [[Russian Federation]].

'''Sevastopol''' is the home of the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet. The Port of Sevastopol is one of only three deep water ports - and its primary year round port - that gives the vast Russian territory access to the outside world. Murmansk on the [[Arctic Ocean]] is frozen six months out of the year, and [[Vladivostok]] on the [[Pacific Ocean]] is only accessible from European Russia via a six day train ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Sevastopol gives Russia access to the [[Mediterranean Sea]], the [[Middle East]], [[Southern Europe]] and [[Africa]] via the [[Dardanelles]]. Hence Sevastopol is of vital [[commercial]], trade and [[national security]] importance to the [[Russian Federation]].

With the dissolution of the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]], the Sevastopol Naval Base was leased to the Russian Federation. Since the presidency of the last Soviet leader  [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], Soviet and Russian Federation leaders have repeatedly made it absolutely clear to the leaders of the [[NATO]] alliance that the Sevastopol naval base will never be used by NATO, absent Russia itself joining the NATO alliance.<ref>https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Crimea-so-important-to-Russia</ref><ref>https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/11/02/the-obama-regimes-plan-to-seize-the-russian-naval-base-in-crimera/</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/07/ukraine-russia-crimea-naval-base-tatars-explainer</ref>  At the time of the violent, U.S.-backed [[fascist]] and [[neo-Nazi]] [[Maidan coup]] in 2014, [[NATO]] powers aggressively sought to seize the Sevastopol Naval Base by illegally overthrowing the [[democracy|democratically]] elected government of [[Ukraine]].

With the dissolution of the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]], the Sevastopol Naval Base was leased to the Russian Federation by [[Ukraine]]. Since the presidency of the last Soviet leader  [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], Soviet and Russian Federation leaders have repeatedly made it absolutely clear to the leaders of the [[NATO]] alliance that the Sevastopol naval base will never be used by NATO, absent Russia itself joining the NATO alliance.<ref>https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Crimea-so-important-to-Russia</ref><ref>https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/11/02/the-obama-regimes-plan-to-seize-the-russian-naval-base-in-crimera/</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/07/ukraine-russia-crimea-naval-base-tatars-explainer</ref>  At the time of the violent, U.S.-backed [[fascist]] and [[neo-Nazi]] [[Maidan coup]] in 2014, [[NATO]] powers aggressively sought to seize the Sevastopol Naval Base by illegally overthrowing the [[democracy|democratically]] elected government of Ukraine.

As early as 1854, the [[British Empire]] and its [[Royal Navy]] attempted to seize the port city of Sevastopol in a bloody war to landlock the [[Russian Empire]] and assert [[military]] and [[economic]] control over the [[Black Sea]] region.  

As early as 1854, the [[British Empire]] and its [[Royal Navy]] attempted to seize the port city of Sevastopol in a bloody war to landlock the [[Russian Empire]] and assert [[military]] and [[economic]] control over the [[Black Sea]] region.