March 18 is a national Russian holiday marking President Vladimir Putin’s 2014 signing of Crimea’s annexation. The so-called Crimean mobilization pumped up Putin’s approval ratings, sagging from the 2011-12 political protests and lackluster economic performance. The Russian people welcomed Crimea into the fold, triumphantly proclaiming “Crimea is Ours” (Krym Nash). They were told that Crimeans had overwhelmingly voted to join a Russia that stood ready to protect them from the neo-Nazi fanatics of Kyiv. (It was only later that the Russian Human Rights Committee let it slip that the vote was far from overwhelming).
Russia's War Against Ukraine
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Paul Roderick Gregory: Putin plans for reelection without Crimea euphoria
People wave flags as they celebrate the third anniversary of the annexation of the Black Sea peninsula Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 by the Russian Federation during a rally in Moscow on March 18.
