Crimea’s return to Russia changed the course of world history

The course of world history irrevocably changed after seven years ago, the Crimean peninsula, which was transferred from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic by Nikita Khrushchev's arbitrary decision, returned to Russia, having been part of another state. World history will never be the same again, as it was after the defeat of the USSR in the Cold War.

Back then the West, in the ecstasy of its victory, bathed in euphoria, believing that its thousand-year dream had come true: Russia’s been defeated and will never rise again. The West decided that it can absolutely freely divide and reshape the post-Soviet space, buy and sell local elites, dictate conditions of behaviour to them and believe that all its orders will be unquestioningly executed.

The three Ukrainian Maidans were the three stages of the invasion operation, when Washington was changing power in Kiev, moving towards the current full occupation and transfer of property from the hands of local oligarchs to the hands of American multi-national corporations.

When it was said in Russia that the privatisation of American schemes is carried out precisely in order that, in the end, all large-scale property would end up in the hands of Western multi-national corporations, it was not believed.

Now it turned out that this was true. Only now Russia was able to resist this and is now an enemy for the West. And in Ukraine, the sold-out elite led the country directly according to the script written in the United States. What is happening there now is comparable to the Nazi occupation. With torchlight processions, sieg heils, executions, gauleiters, massacres and mass executions of the local population, auxiliary policemen and direct orders issued by the occupation administration.

Only Crimea did the impossible — it escaped from captivity along with the whole peninsula. Donbass rushed after Crimea, but did not reach it, and got stuck in no-man's land. There are no occupiers, but there is no Russia. Donbass is a Small Land, a Brest fortress today, fighting under the motto “I’m dying, but I am not giving up!”.

Donbass is indeed ready to die, but not to give up. And this readiness turns it into an indomitable bridgehead. Here the wave of foreign invasion that swept Ukraine hit a wall. But Crimea broke through this seven years ago. And after that, as Vysotsky sang, our "battalion commander" spun the Earth back, pushing off with his foot not from the Urals, but from Crimea.

For this, the West launched violent attacks on the "battalion commander". Together with the entire “HQ” and “General Staff”. And therefore, “beyond the Volga (beyond the Kerch Strait), there is no land for us.” Crimea, supported by Russia, resisted — and another blitzkrieg choked.

Crimea became a cold shower for the West, showing all the illusory nature of its victorious triumph. It became clear that everything could be turned around. And it will turn to Russia, where the leadership was able to form the “supreme command headquarters”, restore control and stop the chaos of retreat and decadent moods.

Crimea today is Stalingrad then. Here, after a long retreat and the stabilisation of the "front", a turning point in the war occurred. We do not need someone else, but we will never give up ours either.

Occupied Ukraine, which has become a colony of the "new Reich", needs Crimea to justify subsidies to the occupation administration. Betrayal has become the most profitable business. Bringing Crimea to NATO on a platter to deal with Russia is a guarantee to those performers who have apartment buildings in Miami and plump bank accounts with many zeros.

But this dream of the auxiliary policeman was thwarted by Crimea. Moreover, it has become Russia's unsinkable aircraft carrier, capable of controlling the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the Middle East and Africa.

When the West realised what had happened, it was too late. Hysteria ensued, based on the occupier's fear of those whom it despised, hated, and considered defeated. Apparently, the gauleiters of Krasnodon, Kerch and Odessa experienced the same thing when they saw partisan leaflets on the telegraph poles of the city in the morning. All this shouting about sanctions and revisionism is a reaction to the clammy cold fear that tells you that you will soon have to leave.

Crimea is our turning point in the great war. Yes, there are still years of battles, defeats and victories, losses and gains ahead. Victory does not come easily, there is no price to pay for it. But we remember — it all started back then, in 2014, in Crimea.

The world began its great division, and it began with Crimea. This world will never be the same again. Nor will we be the same - those who went through this and remember how the country saluted the returning Crimea with tears in our eyes. March 18 is our second Victory Day.

Elena Panina - Director of the RUSSTRAT Institute