Priorities are set

On February 4, the European Parliament adopted a resolution in which it firmly linked the lifting of sanctions against Russia with the return of Crimea to Ukraine.

Resolutions of the European Parliament regarding Russia are adopted approximately twice a year. But this year, such events are likely to happen more often.

Let me note right away that the parliamentary resolution is not a normative document, and it does not give rise to immediate legal consequences. However, that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. The resolution of the European Parliament is a "setting the flags" for the European Commission accountable to it - the executive body of the EU. And for these "flags" it cannot intercede in its activities in the international arena. The resolution is also a consolidated statement of the main political forces in Europe (and, accordingly, addressed to other EU institutions). In addition, this is a very authoritative expert assessment of the problem under study.

The agenda of Russian-Ukrainian affairs is not the main one for the EU. It is not on the main page of the European Parliament on the Web, this is a rather common everyday problem. But nevertheless… The conditions for lifting the sanctions have been voiced many times before – Russia just needs to stop its illegal behavior. To return the Crimea, to stop violating elementary human rights en masse, to end the war... Much has been written about this.

The peculiarity of the new resolution is different - in it things are finally called by their proper names. “Annexation” (and this is an international crime), “occupation authorities”, “illegal seizure”... The current resolution will become the basic document for proving the responsibility of the current Russian authorities for numerous abuses and illegal actions on the Crimean peninsula.

And the second. The resolution is finally trying to approach the problem of returning Crimea to the legal field. The Geneva + format of negotiations is supposed (apparently, they mean negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE and the countries that signed the Budapest Memorandum), but no decisions have been proposed yet. Things have finally been called by their proper names.

Things are finally called by their proper names. "Annexation", "occupation authorities", "illegal seizure"... The current resolution will become the basic document to prove the responsibility of the current authorities for numerous abuses and illegal actions on the Crimean peninsula

And these decisions will be very difficult in any case. Crimea's problem is not to re-weigh the flags. A huge number of people suffered significantly from the arrival of the Russian authorities. As an example, we can cite cancer patients who, after the arrival of the Federal Drug Control Service, have lost painkillers, since the regime for issuing “narcotic” drugs in Russia is much more complicated than in Ukraine. A huge number of properties changed their owners, many lands changed their status and were sold, etc.

The resolution pays special attention to the Crimean Tatars, who are now suffering persecution similar to the worst periods of the 20th century. However, the European Parliament is still looking for ways to dialogue. Does not want blood, does not call for the convening of international tribunals or the overthrow of the authorities. It only states the facts of violations of the basic norms of international society and calls on everyone who is able to listen to contribute to the cessation of illegal actions.

It is unlikely that the Russian authorities will heed this call. And yet: there are things that cannot be done. The aggressor must admit, at least to himself, that they are meaningless.