ScottMc: Good to read an informed comment. May I expand a bit. The Crimea was under Ottoman rule from 1475 to 1773 (or 1774). It fell to Russia in the Turkish - Russian war starting 1768.  Ceded to Russia as separate state in 1774 in a formal treaty with the Ottoman Empire. Formally annexed by Russia under Catherine 11 in 1783. Crimea was in Russia, or under Soviet Moscow rule, until 1954 when Kruschev gave it to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Ukraine (he didn't ask or conduct a referendum). That did not include Sevastopol (always separate from the Ukraine). So effectively Russian for 171 years. In 1994 a referendum was held in Crimea for an Autonomous Republic of Crimea within the Ukraine and for the right to Russian and Ukraine dual citizenship. In high voter turnout 82% voted for Russian citizenship and autonomy. Ukraine declared the referendum illegal. Our foreign affairs minister? Ukraine origin.