Russian President Vladmir Putin annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula on March 18, in a move spurring international discussion over the validity of Putin’s actions.

Crimea belonged to Russia until 1954, when the peninsula was gifted to Ukraine under the direction of the Soviet Union. Protests against former President Viktor Yanukovych began in late 2013, culminating in his removal from office on Feb. 22.

Protests raged on in Crimea, causing nearly 100 casualties and 1000 inuries, leading Russian forces to take control of the region, according to The New York Times.

The Crimean state ultimately held a referendum on March 16, in which 97 percent of Crimeans voted to rejoin Russia instead of maintaining their status as citizens of an independent Ukrainian state, according to The Straits Times.

“Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia in the hearts and minds of the people,” Putin said.

Following Ukraine’s annexation, Putin’s approval ratings skyrocketed according to The New York Times, drowning out voices of opposition. The announcement was well received by the Kremlin as well.

“It was a terrible idea for Crimea to accept the 2004 constitution – that gave Russia the pretext in order to invade,” freshman Misha Tseitlin said. “On the other hand, Russia shouldn’t have invaded because of the violation of international law and boundaries. Both sides are wrong in this conflict.”

The Ukrainian government, along with several world leaders including President Barack Obama, is not recognizing Crimea as a part of Russia. Sanctions against Russia have been enforced by the European Union (EU), the US, and Australia, leading companies such as Visa and MasterCard to withdraw services from the country.

The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly dismissed Russia’s territorial claim as “having no validity,” and the country’s G8 membership was suspended.

The International Monetary Fund offered a loan of up to $18 million in an effort to stabilize Ukraine’s tumultuous economy in the face of international crisis, and the US and EU also pledged economic support.

Concern has risen for the autonomy of countries within the Eastern European region, influencingVice President Joe Biden’s decision to declare US protection against Russian aggression to Poland and the Baltic states.

“The precedent Russia set puts all the other nations in the region on alert and is going to increase instability everywhere around Ukraine,” said History and Social Science teacher Damon Halback.

Many Ukrainians, such as junior Agata Sorotokin’s grandmother, have begun utilizing the internet as a forum to discuss the political climate in Ukraine. Along with her friends, Agata’s grandmother hopes the country will be able to return to stability.

“I think it’s just the latest event in a growing trend of more and more aggressive foreign policy from Vladmir Putin,” Rohith Kuditipudi (11) said.  

Crimea has implemented various changes in the past few weeks to smoothen the assimilation process, such as changing Crimean clocks to Russian time.

“In Crimea’s de facto part of Russia, they have their passports and they use the Russian ruble now, but in Russia, not many things are changing,” Misha said.

Despite the escalation of tensions, Ukraine seeks to maintain its diplomatic relations with Russia according to The Straits Times, announcing that both countries are aiming to ease the situation.