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'''Crimean status referendum, 2014''' was a [[referendum]] on the status of [[Crimea]] held on March 16, 2014, by the legislature of [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea]] as well as by the local government of [[Sevastopol]], both [[Administrative divisions of Ukraine|subdivisions of Ukraine]] at the time. The referendum asked the people of Crimea whether they wanted to join [[Russia]] as a [[federal subjects of the Russian Federation|federal subject]], or if they wanted to restore the [[Constitution of Crimea|1992 Crimean constitution]] and Crimea's status as a part of [[Ukraine]].
The available choices did not include keeping the [[status quo]] of Crimea and Sevastopol aswithin they were at the moment the referendum was heldUkraine. The [[ConstitutionAll of Crimea|1992the constitution]] accords greaterchoices powersavailable toon the Crimeanballot parliamentwould includinghave full sovereign powers to establish relations with other states, therefore many commentators argued that both provided referendum choices would resultresulted in [[de facto]] separation of Crimea from Ukraine.<ref name=globeyes>{{cite news|last=SAIDEMAN|first=STEPHEN|quote="... voters in Crimea next Sunday will be asked whether they support the union of Crimea with Russia (an act of [[irredentism]]) or whether Crimea should be independent (secession). There is no alternative – one cannot vote for the status quo ante of remaining within Ukraine."|title=In Crimea's sham referendum, all questions lead to 'yes'|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/in-crimeas-sham-referendum-all-questions-lead-to-yes/article17396854/|newspaper=Globe and Mail|date=12 March 2014}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/15/world/europe/crimea-vote-does-not-offer-choice-of-status-quo.html</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Oliphant|first=Roland|title=Crimeans vote peacefully in referendum, but have little choice|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10701676/Crimeans-vote-peacefully-in-referendum-but-have-little-choice.html|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=16 Mar 2014}}</ref>
Supreme Council of Crimea considered the ousting of Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych]] in the [[2014 Ukrainian revolution]] as a coup and [[Yatsenyuk Government|the new interim government in Kiev]] as illegitimate and stated that the referendum is a response to these developments.<ref>[http://www.unian.net/politics/890611-verhovnaya-rada-ark-initsiirovala-provedenie-vsekryimskogo-referenduma.html Верховная Рада АРК инициировала проведение всекрымского референдума : Новости УНИАН] {{Ru icon}}</ref> The referendum was regarded as illegitimate by most countries including all European Union members, the United States and Canada because of [[2014 Crimean crisis|the events surrounding it]]<ref name=UNGA/> including the plebiscite being held while the peninsula was [[2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine|occupied by Russian soldiers]].<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/putin-changes-course-admits-russian-troops-were-in-crimea-before-vote/2014/04/17/b3300a54-c617-11e3-bf7a-be01a9b69cf1_story.html</ref> Thirteen members of the [[United Nations Security Council]] voted in favor of a resolution declaring the referendum invalid, but Russia [[United Nations Security Council veto power|vetoed]] it and China abstained.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2014/sc11319.doc.htm |title=Security Council Fails to Adopt Text Urging Member States Not to Recognize Planned 16 March Referendum in Ukraine's Crimea Region |publisher=Un.org |date=2013-01-02 |accessdate=2014-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/15/290404691/russia-vetoes-u-n-security-council-resolution-on-crimea|title=Russia Vetoes U.N. Security Council Resolution On Crimea|publisher=NPR|date=2014-03-15|accessdate=2014-03-17}}</ref> A [[United Nations General Assembly]] [[United Nations General Assembly resolution 68/39|resolution]] was later adopted, by a vote of 100 in favor vs. 11 against with 58 abstentions, which declared the referendum invalid and affirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity.<ref name=UNGA>{{cite news|title=U.N. General Assembly Affirms Ukraine's Territorial Integrity, Calls The World Community Not To Recognise Change Of Crimea's Status|url=http://un.ua/eng/article/500959.html|accessdate=27 March 2014|newspaper=[[Ukrainian News Agency]]|date=27 March 2014}}</ref> The [[Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People]] called for a boycott of the referendum.<ref name="ukrinform.ua"/><ref name="pretedermined">{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.de/tatar-leader-referendums-results-predetermined/a-17500078 |title=Tatar leader: referendum's results 'predetermined'|publisher=DW.DE |date=16 March 2014 |accessdate=2014-03-17}}</ref>
Russia officially recognized the results of the Crimean referendum and claims that unilateral [[Kosovo]] declaration of independence has set a precedent, which allows secession of Crimea from Ukraine.<ref>"{{cite web|url=http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6889| url=http://eng.kremlin.ru/news/6889|title= Address by President of the Russian Federation| quote = Moreover, the Crimean authorities referred to the well-known Kosovo precedent – a precedent our western colleagues created with their own hands in a very similar situation, when they agreed that the unilateral separation of [[Kosovo]] from [[Serbia]], exactly what Crimea is doing now, was legitimate and did not require any permission from the country's central authorities. Pursuant to Article 2, Chapter 1 of the United Nations Charter, the UN International Court agreed with this approach and made the following comment in its ruling of July 22, 2010, and I quote: "No general prohibition may be inferred from the practice of the Security Council with regard to declarations of independence," and "General international law contains no prohibition on declarations of independence." Crystal clear, as they say. |date= March 18, 2014|website=[[kremlin.ru]]|accessdate=March 18, 2014}}</ref> Such parallels are disputed by Western scholars, however.<ref name=Bellinger01 /><ref name=Experts01 /><ref name=Weller01 />
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