Takeover of Crimea

Abstract

This chapter is devoted to one of the most important events in the recent development of relations between Russia and the United States—the takeover of Crimea by Russia in 2014. Through the analysis of US and Russian media, it shows how the narrative surrounding the takeover subsequently has changed to reflect the persistent ideological lines adopted by the media of the two countries. Whereas Russian media emphasized the illegitimacy of the Ukrainian government after the Ukrainian president was ousted, the free will of the people in Crimea to join Russia demonstrated at the referendum, the legality of the unification process, and the role of the US government in the change of power in Kiev, the US media that initially reported a relatively peaceful “low-key” invasion in Crimea and acknowledged the referendum later switched to present the event as an annexation or invasion by Russia and omitted any reference to the referendum held in Crimea. The analysis of the US media is followed by the analysis of Russian media related to the event.