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|colspan="3"|Poll conducted in Crimea by [[USAID]] and a [[NED]] front group just prior to the US-backed Maidan coup.<ref>https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnaec705.pdf</ref>

|colspan="3"|Poll conducted in Crimea by [[USAID]] and a [[NED]] front group just prior to the US-backed Maidan coup.<ref>https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnaec705.pdf</ref>

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A U.S.-backed [[Color Revolution]] advocated for stronger ties with Europe and sought to join the [[European Union]] and perhaps even [[NATO]]. Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] was pressured by Russia to delay signing a treaty that would lead to Ukraine joining the EU, which lead to widespread [[Euromaidan]] riots in a U.S.-backed [[color revolution]] with support from Ukrainian [[neo-Nazi]] paramilitary group that overturned the government.  Yanukovych singed a pledge on February 21, 214 not to run for reelection to quell the street unrest with the [[German]] and [[French]] Ambassadors as witnesses.  However, the following day U.S.-backed Nazi terrorist groups threatened his personal safety and he fled Kyiv for Russia.<ref name="WP Yanukovych missing">{{cite news|last=Booth|first=William|title=Ukraine’s Yanukovych missing as protesters take control of presidential residence in Kiev|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraines-president-open-to-early-vote-polish-leader-says-scores-reported-killed-in-clashes/2014/02/21/05d3de46-9a82-11e3-b931-0204122c514b_story.html|accessdate=|newspaper=Washington Post|date=22 February 2014}}</ref> He was then impeached. Although Russia was constrained from responding while hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, a week after the Olympics ended, Russia moved against the Western installed regime in Kyiv by taking actions in Russian-majority regions of Crimea and in the [[Donbas]] of eastern Ukraine.

A U.S.-backed [[Color Revolution]] advocated for stronger ties with Europe and sought to join the [[European Union]] and perhaps even [[NATO]]. Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] was pressured by Russia to delay signing a treaty that would lead to Ukraine joining the EU, which lead to widespread [[Euromaidan]] riots in a U.S.-backed [[color revolution]] with support from Ukrainian [[neo-Nazi]] paramilitary group that overturned the government.  Yanukovych singed a pledge on February 21, 2014 not to run for reelection to quell the street unrest with the [[German]] and [[French]] Ambassadors as witnesses.  However, the following day U.S.-backed Nazi terrorist groups threatened Yanukovych's personal safety and he fled Kyiv, eventually landing in Russia.<ref name="WP Yanukovych missing">{{cite news|last=Booth|first=William|title=Ukraine’s Yanukovych missing as protesters take control of presidential residence in Kiev|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraines-president-open-to-early-vote-polish-leader-says-scores-reported-killed-in-clashes/2014/02/21/05d3de46-9a82-11e3-b931-0204122c514b_story.html|accessdate=|newspaper=Washington Post|date=22 February 2014}}</ref> He was then unconstitutionally "impeached" in sham impeachment.  

Five days after the ouster of Ukraine's [[democracy|democratically]] elected president in the [[Western alliance|Western]]-backed [[Maidan coup]], Russian soldiers landed in Crimea.<ref>https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/02/27/283481587/crimea-a-gift-to-ukraine-becomes-a-political-flash-point</ref>  Because most of the people living in Crimea are ethinic Russians, there was a dispute whether Crimea belongs to Ukraine or to Russia.<ref>https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-warns-russia-over-military-moves-crimea</ref>  On March 11, 2014, Crimea declared its independence from Ukraine.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2578160/Ukraines-fugitive-president-blasts-bandit-regime-says-country-heading-civil-war.html</ref>  The Crimean Peninsula—82% of whose households speak Russian, and only 2% mainly Ukrainian—held a plebiscite on March  16, 2014 on whether or not they should join Russia, or remain under the new Ukrainian government. The Pro-Russia camp won with 95% of the vote. The UN General Assembly, led by the US, voted to ignore the referendum results on the grounds that it was contrary to Ukraine’s constitution. This same constitution had been set aside to oust [[President Yanukovych]] a month earlier.<ref>https://fair.org/home/what-you-should-really-know-about-ukraine/</ref>   

Five days after the ouster of Ukraine's [[democracy|democratically]] elected president in the [[Western alliance|Western]]-backed Maidan coup, Russian soldiers landed in Crimea.<ref>https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/02/27/283481587/crimea-a-gift-to-ukraine-becomes-a-political-flash-point</ref>  Because most of the people living in Crimea are ethinic Russians, there was a dispute whether Crimea belongs to Ukraine or to Russia.<ref>https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-warns-russia-over-military-moves-crimea</ref>  On March 11, 2014, Crimea declared its independence from Ukraine.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2578160/Ukraines-fugitive-president-blasts-bandit-regime-says-country-heading-civil-war.html</ref>  The Crimean Peninsula—82% of whose households speak Russian, and only 2% mainly Ukrainian—held a plebiscite on March  16, 2014 on whether or not they should join Russia, or remain under the foreign-back Ukrainian regime. The Pro-Russia camp won with 95% of the vote. The UN General Assembly, led by the US, voted to ignore the referendum results on the grounds that it was contrary to Ukraine’s constitution. This same constitution had been set aside to oust [[President Yanukovych]] a month earlier.<ref>https://fair.org/home/what-you-should-really-know-about-ukraine/</ref>   

[[Afghanistan]], [[Cuba]], [[Nicaragua]], [[North Korea]], [[Syria]] and [[Venezuela]] recognize Crimea as a part of Russia.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/world/asia/breaking-with-the-west-afghan-leader-supports-russias-annexation-of-crimea.html?ref=asia&_r=1</ref> On March 27, the U.N. General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution (100 in favor, 11 against and 58 abstentions) declaring Crimea's referendum invalid.<ref name="CHARBONNEAU AND DONATH">{{cite news|lcoauthors=Charbonneau M and Donath L|title=U.N. General Assembly declares Crimea secession vote invalid|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/us-ukraine-crisis-un-idUSBREA2Q1GA20140327|newspaper=Reuters|date=Mar 27, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Felton and Gumuchian">{{cite news|coauthors=Marie-Louise Felton and Alex Gumuchian|title=U.N. General Assembly resolution calls Crimean referendum invalid|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/|newspaper=CNN|date=March 27, 2014}}</ref><ref name="un.org">{{cite news|title=Backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity, UN Assembly declares Crimea referendum invalid|url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47443&Cr=ukraine&Cr1=|newspaper=UN News Center|date=27 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="foxnews.com">{{cite news|title=UN General Assembly approves referendum calling Russia annexation of Crimea illegal|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/03/27/un-general-assembly-votes-yes-on-ukraine-unity/|newspaper=Associated Press|date=March 27, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ukraine: UN condemns Crimea vote as IMF and US back loans|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26776416|newspaper=27 March 2014|date=BBC}}</ref> In response, the [[Western alliance]] imposed sanctions against Russian trade.

[[Afghanistan]], [[Cuba]], [[Nicaragua]], [[North Korea]], [[Syria]] and [[Venezuela]] recognize Crimea as a part of Russia.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/world/asia/breaking-with-the-west-afghan-leader-supports-russias-annexation-of-crimea.html?ref=asia&_r=1</ref> On March 27, the U.N. General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution (100 in favor, 11 against and 58 abstentions) declaring Crimea's referendum invalid.<ref name="CHARBONNEAU AND DONATH">{{cite news|lcoauthors=Charbonneau M and Donath L|title=U.N. General Assembly declares Crimea secession vote invalid|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/us-ukraine-crisis-un-idUSBREA2Q1GA20140327|newspaper=Reuters|date=Mar 27, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Felton and Gumuchian">{{cite news|coauthors=Marie-Louise Felton and Alex Gumuchian|title=U.N. General Assembly resolution calls Crimean referendum invalid|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/|newspaper=CNN|date=March 27, 2014}}</ref><ref name="un.org">{{cite news|title=Backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity, UN Assembly declares Crimea referendum invalid|url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47443&Cr=ukraine&Cr1=|newspaper=UN News Center|date=27 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="foxnews.com">{{cite news|title=UN General Assembly approves referendum calling Russia annexation of Crimea illegal|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/03/27/un-general-assembly-votes-yes-on-ukraine-unity/|newspaper=Associated Press|date=March 27, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ukraine: UN condemns Crimea vote as IMF and US back loans|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26776416|newspaper=27 March 2014|date=BBC}}</ref> In response, the [[Western alliance]] imposed sanctions against Russian trade.