Kremlin considers possibility of imposing fines for 'wrong designation' of annexed Crimea
The Russian Federation Council is discussing the possibility of drafting and submitting a bill to the Russian State Duma, introducing responsibility for incorrect indication on maps of the territory of Russia, including the Crimea. At the same time, the senator from the Crimea, Sergei Tsekov, stated that there are no definite or specific deadlines, and the project itself may not happen, since “its relevance has become less acute.”
Earlier, Izvestia, citing Tsekov, stated that the draft law could be submitted to the State Duma within the next three months.
“Right now, we cannot say that such a bill will be introduced. We don’t have much enthusiasm, it’s not the most successful project,” reports RIA Novosti quoting the words of the Senator.
According to him, the idea is in the discussion stages. There are no concrete plans for implementation. "The concept of such a document was introduced after the annexation of the Crimea by Russia, when a number of media and commercial organizations incorrectly indicated the territorial identity of the republic," explained Tsekov. According to him, now this happens much less frequently.
The internationally recognized Ukrainian territory of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in March of 2014 in the wake of the Ukrainian revolution. The Kremlin has faced international condemnation for its annexation of the Peninsula, leading many western countries to impose economic sanctions against Russia. In the United Nations, only Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria recognize Crimea as a legitimate federal subject of Russia.