Instead, Western diplomats questioned the procedural and the empirical validity of the Crimean referendum. But they could also invoke self-rule against self-rule. The argument was that all the Ukrainian people, not merely those who lived in Crimea, should have been consulted. Indeed, was there really a Crimean people to consult? It’s a time-honored strategy, since what a “people” wants is always going to depend on where you draw the lines. One of Abraham Lincoln’s arguments against Southern secession is the same as China’s argument against Tibetan independence and Spain’s against Catalan
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