'But the document, if genuine, suggests the Kremlin was already considering a plan to divide Ukraine as a means of strengthening Russia’s economy and global status.'<blockquote>'The Kremlin received advice to break up Ukraine and absorb its pro-Russian regions even before the country’s president fled in the wake of street protests a year ago, according to an alleged strategy document obtained by a Russian newspaper.
Novaya Gazeta said the “plan” for annexing Crimea was passed to Vladimir Putin’s presidential administration between February 4 and 12, 2014, at least 10 days before Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s then leader, left the capital, Kiev.
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But the document, if genuine, suggests the Kremlin was already considering a plan to divide Ukraine as a means of strengthening Russia’s economy and global status.
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Novaya Gazeta said it believed the document was prepared with the help of Konstantin Malofeyev, a well-known pro-Kremlin businessman with links to the pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine, although Mr Malofeyev reportedly denies that. The newspaper did not say who in Mr Putin’s administration viewed the strategy document or whether it was adopted but said that, “the extent to which this project coincides with the subsequent actions of the Russian authorities is striking”.
Proposals laid out in the document do bear a strong resemblance to some of the tactics adopted by the Kremlin and the rebels in eastern Ukraine, where more than 5,700 people have died since April as a result of fighting between separatist and government forces.
The document recommends that referendums on autonomy are held in pro-Russian regions of Ukraine in order to strengthen their claims to self determination, “and later to joining Russia”. A controversial pro-independence referendum result in Crimea was used by the Kremlin to endorse its annexation of the region.
The plan also proposes a PR and press campaign to legitimise the “pro-Russian drift of Crimea and eastern Ukrainian regions” which argues for three things: federalisation of Ukraine (providing regions with a high degree of autonomy without breaking away from the state), independent accession of eastern regions to the Russia-led Customs Union, and full sovereignty and eventual annexation by Russia.'
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Kremlin 'considered plan to split Ukraine before president’s overthrow', February 25, 2015</blockquote>
Context 'An attack on Mariupol would kill off a European-brokered ceasefire.'<blockquote>
Russia - 'I Hold Putin Responsible...' - 'The Payback Will Be Ruthless..'Crime of Aggression - '..aggressive war-making is illegal and criminal.''..block the institutional pipelines that sucked money out of Ukraine and pumped it westward.'Global Magnitsky Act - '..it is essential that by April 2015 Ukraine should be engaged in a radical reform program that has a realistic chance of succeeding..' - Soros'People who are driven by revanchism must experience its consequences.' - Skobov'..intense international diplomatic and economic sanctions to bring Russia back to its senses..''..the Crimean vote “discredited Russia more than could be dreamed up by a foreign agent.” '</blockquote>