Ex Envoy Recognition

From UNIAN:
"Ex-U.S. envoy to Russia tells why Crimea annexation must not be recognized"

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has advised Americans doubting the illegitimacy of the Russian annexation of Crimea and aggression against Ukraine to project a similar situation onto America. "When Americans tell Ukrainians to be more pragmatic when dealing with Russia, I wonder how pragmatic we Americans would be if China annexed Hawaii, Canada invaded Maine, or Mexico supported separatists in California?" he wrote on Twitter on February 8. The posting sparked a lively discussion, including provocative statements by users with Russian profile names.  During Barack Obama’s first presidential term, McFaul worked as special assistant to the U.S. president on national security. From 2011 to 2014 he headed the United States Embassy in Moscow. Since his dismissal from the diplomatic service, McFaul has been as a leading expert on Russia and American international politics. Now he is a professor of political sciences at the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law in Stanford.  

^  For those that don't remember the Crimea was given to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic by the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (both a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) in 1954. That's after all the Tatars were deported by the Soviets in 1944 and not allowed to return until 1991. Russia recognized the Crimea as part of an independent Ukraine in 1991 and again in 1997 and 2010. Then in 2014 Russia invaded, occupied and annexed the Crimea. Putin used the exact same pretext and methods that Hitler used when he invaded, occupied and annexed Austria in 1938 - - Hitler claimed the ethnic Germans living in Austria were under threat and needed Germany's protection. With German troops already occupying Austria there was a vote on whether Austria "wanted" to become a part of Nazi Germany. With guns pointed at them the Austrians voted to become part of Germany and received German citizenship - not recognized by the International Community. Putin claimed the ethnic Russians living in the Crimea were under threat and needed Russia's protection. With Russian troops already occupying the Crimea there was a vote on whether the Crimea "wanted" to become a part of Russia. With guns pointed at them the Crimeans voted to become part of Russia and received Russian citizenship - not recognized by the United Nations (UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262.) The German annexation of Austria lasted until 1945 (7 years) and Austria is now seen as one of Hitler's first victims. So far during the Russian annexation of the Crimea (4 years) all Tartar and Ukrainian culture, language and traditions are banned by Moscow. People who speak Tartar or Ukrainian on the street can be arrested and never heard from again. It seems Putin simply used Hitler's playbook, but I wonder if Putin read it to the end. You would think so because Austria was divided from 1945-1955 into an American, French, British and Soviet Sector (and Vienna was divided the same way.) In the end the Allies left and Austria became independent and returned to the International Community and the German crimes committed during the annexation were prosecuted. While the Crimea may not have an Allied occupation I believe that it will eventually either return to the Ukraine or become independent - returning to the International Community and hopefully the Russian crimes committed during the annexation will be prosecuted. ^

https://www.unian.info/politics/2389557-ex-us-envoy-to-russia-tells-why-crimea-annexation-must-not-be-recognized.html