APEnglishLanguageandComposition

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SuggestedWritingTime:40minutes

Introduction:
Recently,theCrimeanPeninsulahasbeenseizedundercontrolbyunmarkedsoldiersfrom
Russia.Crimeaisaveryimportantpeninsuladuetotheamountofnaturalgasreservesandgeological
advantage.NotlongagoUkraineunderwentarevolutionandPresident
ViktorYanukovych
,anexKGB
agent,wasimpeached.AnewinterimgovernmentnamedtheYatsenyukGovernment,whichhasreceived
attentionfromtheEUandwasabouttojoin.Russiaclaimedtheimpeachmentofpresident
Yanukovych
wasillegalandthereasonfortheoccupationofCrimea.OnMarch17th,theCrimeangovernment
declaredindependencefromUkraineandjoinedtheRussianfederation,givingcontrolofthegasreserves
andportsthatCrimeaholds.UkraineandothernationsbelievetheoccupationofCrimeabreaks
internationallawsandcontrolofCrimeashouldreturntoUkraine.

Thoroughlyreadthefollowingsixsources,focusonkeydetailswithineachpassage.Thentake
informationfromatleastthreesourcesandincorporateitintoawellthoughtanddevelopedthatevaluates
therecentoccupationofCrimeaanddetermineswhetheritagainsttheornot.

Thisquestionrequiresyoutosynthesizeavarietyofsourcesintoacoherent,wellwrittenessay.
Whenyousynthesizesourcesyourefertothemtodevelopyourpositionandcitethemaccurately.Your
argumentshouldbecentralthesourcesshouldsupportthisargument.Avoidmerelysummarizing
sources
.

SourceA(CNN)
SourceB(TheNewYorker)
SourceC(USAToday)
SourceD(CBSNews)
SourceE(
Aljazeera.com
)
SourceF(
Ibtimes.com
)

SourceA

SmithSpark,Laura,JournalistSusannahPalkReportedfromBrussels,LauraSmithSpark
Wrote,ReportedinLondon.AllaEshchenko,BarbaraStarr,MickKrever,JasonHanna,and
JonathanHelman."UkraineCrisis:NATOMilitaryChiefWarnsRussianTroopsCouldInvade
Swiftly."
CNN
.CableNewsNetwork,n.d.Web.
TheFollowingisexcerptedfromanarticlefromCNN.

NATO'smilitarychiefwarnedWednesdaythatRussiantroopscouldbeginmovingonUkrainewithin12
hoursofbeinggivenanorder,amidfearsthatMoscowcouldseektoinvadeitseasternregion.
Gen.PhilipBreedlove,NATO'ssupremealliedcommanderEurope,also
toldCNN'sChristiane
Amanpour
thatwith40,000troopsmassedneartheborder,Russiahasallthecomponentsnecessaryto
moveonUkraine.
Theseforcesare"supportedbyfixedwingaircraft,rotaryaircraft,allofthelogisticsrequiredinorderto
successfullymakeanincursioniftheyneeded,"hesaid.
Intermsofdeterrence,BreedlovesaidNATOhasagoodairandseaplanandisworkinginthenext
severaldaysondevelopingalandcomponenttothatreassurance.
UkraineisnotaNATOmember,butmanycountriesthatarememberssuchPolandandtheBalticstates
havevoicedtheirincreasinganxietyaboutRussia'srecentactions.
NATOsaidonTuesdaythatitwouldsuspend"allpracticalcivilianandmilitarycooperation"withRussia
inresponsetoitsannexationofUkraine'ssouthernCrimearegion,whichhastriggeredtheworst
EastWestcrisissincetheColdWar.
ItalsosaidithadseennosignthatMoscowiswithdrawingsomeofitstroopsfromtheeasternUkrainian
border,asRussiahasclaimed.
NATOchiefAndersFoghRasmussen,speakinginBrusselsattheendofatwodaymeetingofforeign
ministersfromthe28memberNATObloc,saidhesharedBreedlove'sconcerns.HeaccusedRussiaof
tryingtointimidateUkraineaspartofanattemptto"reestablishaRussiansphereofinfluencecovering
theformerSovietspace."

SourceB
"TermsofCrisis."
TheNewYorker
.N.p.,n.d.Web.

ThefollowingisexcerptedfromanarticlefromTheNewYorker.

Annexationhasanuglysound,owingtoanunhappypast.Thetermdescribes,among
othertragedies,SaddamHusseinsattempt,in1990,toswallowKuwaitwhole,asthe
nineteenthprovinceofIraqIndonesiasinvasion,in1975,ofEastTimorMoroccos
absorption,thesameyear,ofWesternSaharaandIsraelsdeclaration,afterthe1967
war,ofEastJerusalemaspartofaunitedcapital.TheGermanwordforitis
Anschluss
.
Likemostcoercedunions,annexationscomewreathedincloudsoflofty,dishonest
languagekeythemesarepopularwill,historicgrievance,divineprovidencebutthey
almostalwayshappenattheendofagun.VladimirPutinsspeechattheKremlinlast
week,askingacompliantDumatoratifyCrimeasselfdeclaredstatusasanewRussian
republic,wasamemorableexampleofannexationrhetoric.Putinopenedwiththe
baptismofPrinceVladimirinancientKhersones,railedagainstyearsofhumiliationby
theWest,warnedofconsequencesforunnamednationaltraitorsinsideRussia,and
movedtheaudiencetotearsonbehalfofhispeoplesheartsandminds,whereCrimea
hasalwaysbeenaninseparablepartofRussia.Afewofhispointshadmerit:itstrue
thattheUnitedStates,likeothergreatpowers,ignoresinternationallawswhentheygetin
theway,anditshouldhavebeenforeseeablethatRussiawouldviewtheexpansionof
NATO
asachallengetoitsinterests.Otherpartsofthespeechwereblatantfalsehoodsfor

example,thechargethatRussianspeakingUkrainianswereunderthreatfromhordesof
neoNazis,andtheclaimthatRussiasarmedforcesneverenteredCrimea.WhenPutin
thankedhisUkrainianbrothersforrefrainingfromsheddingblood,heneglectedto
mentionthattheyhadbeendisarmedbyRussianspecialforcestroops.

SourceC

Dastagir,AliaE."Ukraine,Russia,Crimea:HowtheStoryEvolved."
USAToday
.Gannett,20
Mar.2014.Web.
ThefollowingwasexcerptedfromanarticlefromUSAtodaytoclearupanyconfusiononthecrisis.
Monthsofviolentprotests.Ukraine'spresidentflees.Russia'spresidentgoesonthe
offensive.Crimeavotes(debatably)tojoinRussia.WhatisgoingoninUkraine?And,
moreimportantly,whyshouldwecare?Earlierthismonth,BritishForeignSecretary
WilliamHaguecalledthestandoffinUkrainethe"biggestcrisisinEuropeofthe21st
century."Hereareanswerstosomeofyourbiggestquestionsontheongoingcrisis:
I'vebeenhearingaboutUkraineformonths.Howdidthisallstart?InNovember,
UkrainianPresidentViktorYanukovych'sgovernmentannounceditwasabandoning
anagreementthatwouldstrengthentieswiththeEuropeanUnion.Yanukovychsaid
hewasseekingclosercooperationwithMoscow.ManyinUkrainewerenothappy,and
protesterstooktothestreets.Whatexactlyweretheyprotesting?Protesterssought
closertiestoEuropeandanendtoYanukovych'sgrowingtieswithRussia.Whenand
whydidUkraineexplodeintoviolenceinFebruary?Protesterswerelosinghopewhen
theysaw
nowillingness

onthesideofYanukovychtocompromise,accordingtoOrysia
Lutsevych,aUkraineexpertattheChathamHousethinktankinLondon.Lutsevych
saidthatYanukovychputpeopleinjail,hisgovernmenttorturedactivistsandit
harassedpeople.Theprotestersstoppedbelievingtherecouldbesuccessful
negotiations.WhathappenedtoUkraine'spresident?OnFeb.22,Yanukovychfledthe
capitalaftergovernmenttroopsunderhiscontrolattackedandkilled82protestersin
downtownKiev.TheUkraineparliament,includingmembersofYanukovych'sown
party,votedtoreplacehiminhisabsence.Ukraine'sinterimgovernmentand
president,OleksandrTurchynov,issuedawarrantforthearrestofYanukovych,who
escapedtoRussiaandstilldeclaresthatheisthelegitimatepresidentofUkraine.Why
isRussiatryingtogaincontrolofCrimeanow?AfterUkraine'spresidentwasousted,
proRussianCrimeansdemonstratedinthestreetstosecedefromUkraine.Opponents
alsoprotestedtoremain.CrimeanmilitiamensurroundedUkrainemilitarybasesin
Crimea,wheremorethanhalfthepopulationisethnicRussian.Wellarmedassault
troopsinskimaskswhowereassumedtobesoldiersfromRussiatookoverthe
parliamentbuildingandcutoffCrimeafromtherestofUkraine.Electedofficialswere

orderedoutofofficeatgunpointandreplacedwithlittleknownproRussianpoliticians.
Theselfappointedleadersannouncedareferendumtosecede,avotebackedpublicly
byRussianPresidentVladimirPutin,whohadbeentryingtopreventUkrainefrom
strengtheningtiestoEurope.PutinhassaidUkraineandothernationsthathadbeen
heldcaptivefordecadesunderthenowdissolvedSovietUnionshouldreturnto
Russiancontrol.HehascalledthedissolutionoftheSovietdictatorship,inwhichhe
roseupasanofficialwiththedreadedKGBsecurityagency,thegreatestcalamityof
the20thcentury.

SourceD

"UkraineCrisis:ProRussianMovementCreepsClosertoKiev."
CBSNews
.CBSInteractive,
n.d.Web.
ThefollowingwasexcerptedfromanarticlefromCBSNews.

KIEV,Ukraine
CrowdsofproRussiandemonstratorsstormedgovernmentbuildingsSunday
inseveralmajorcitiesineasternUkraine,wheresecessionistsentimenthassparkedfrequent
protests
sinceUkraine'sRussiafriendlypresidentwasoustedinFebruary
.
InDonetsk,50miles
westoftheRussianborder,alargegroupofpeople,includingmanyinmaskscarryingsticksand
stones,surgedintotheprovincialgovernmentbuildingandsmashedwindows.Agatheringof
severalhundred,manyofthemwavingRussianflags,thenlistenedtospeechesdeliveredfroma
balconyemblazonedwithabannerreading"DonetskRepublic."Activistsinthebuildingsaid
theywanttoseeareferendumfortheDonetskprovincetojoinRussia.AnAPphotographer
reportedseeingpeoplebringingcartirestobeusedasbarricadesagainstanypresumedattempt
byauthoritiestoretakethebuilding.EasternUkrainewastheheartlandofsupportforViktor
Yanukovych,thepresidentwhofledtoRussiainFebruaryaftermonthsofprotests.Abouthalfof
theregion'sresidentsareethnicRussians,
manyofwhombelieveUkraine'sactingauthoritiesare
Ukrainiannationalists
whowilloppressRussians.

SourceE
"Timeline:Ukraine'sPoliticalCrisis."
Http://www.aljazeera.com/
.N.p.,n.d.Web.
ThefollowingwasexcerptedfromanarticlefromAljazeera.com.
Feb25:
ProRussianAlekseyChalyisappointedSevastopolsdefactomayorasralliesinCrimea
continue.
Feb26:
CrimeanTatarssupportingthenewKievadministrationclashwithproRussia
protestersintheregion.PotentialmembersofthenewUkrainiangovernmentappearbeforecrowdsin
IndependenceSquare.TurchinovannouncesdisbandingofBerkutthefearedriotpolice.Russiantroops
nearborderwithUkraineareputonalertanddrilledfor"combatreadiness".
Feb27:
ProKremlinarmed
menseizegovernmentbuildingsinCrimea.Ukrainegovernmentvowstopreventacountrybreakupas
CrimeanparliamentsetMay25asthedateforreferendumonregionsstatus.Yanukovichisgranted
refugeinRussia.
Feb28:
ArmedmeninunmarkedcombatfatiguesseizeSimferopolinternationalairport
andamilitaryairfieldinSevastopol.TheUkrainiangovernmentaccusesRussiaofaggression.UN
SecurityCouncilholdsanemergencycloseddoorsessiontodiscussthesituationinCrimea.TheUS
warnsRussiaofmilitarilyinterveninginUkraine.
MoscowsaysmilitarymovementsinCrimeaareinlinewithpreviousagreementstoprotectitsfleet
positionintheBlackSea.Yanukovychmakeshisfirstpublicappearance,insouthernRussia.
March1:
AssituationworsensinCrimea,localleadersaskforRussianPresidentVladimirPutin'shelp.Russian
upperhouseoftheparliamentapprovesarequestbyPutintousemilitarypowerinUkraine.
March2:
A
convoyofhundredsofRussiantroopsheadstowardstheregionalcapitalofUkraine'sCrimearegion,a
dayafterRussia'sforcestakesoverthestrategicBlackSeapeninsulawithoutfiringashot.Arseny
Yatsenyuk,Ukraine'snewprimeminister,sayshiscountryisonthe"brinkofdisaster"andaccuses
Russiaofdeclaringwaronhiscountry.
March3:
NATOsaysMoscowisthreateningpeaceandsecurity
inEuropeclaimsRussiasayswillnothelpstabilisethesituation.Russia'sBlackSeaFleettells
UkrainiannavyinSevastopolinCrimeatosurrenderorfaceamilitaryassault.
March4
:Inhisfirst
publicreactiontothecrisisinUkraine,Putinsayshiscountry
reservestherighttouseallmeans
toprotect
itscitizensineasternUkraine.RussianforcesfirewarningshotsonunarmedUkrainiansoldiersmarching
towardsanairbaseinSevastopol.

SourceF

Ibtimes.com
.N.p.,n.d.Web.