Kosovo independence precedent
Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to recognize Kosovo independence, but subsequently used the precedent to achieve goals in Ukraine.
"[14] Rice additionally referred to UN sanctions on the then-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the presence of UNMIK as reasons for Kosovo being a special case.
[34] Immediately following Kosovo's declaration of independence the Russian officials appeared to soften their position, with Boris Gryzlov stating only that Moscow should "reshape its relations with self-proclaimed republics" which according to news reports could mean lifting the economic embargo on the regions.
[36] Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in 2008: "A precedent is objectively created not just for South Ossetia and Abkhazia but also for an estimated 200 territories around the world.
"[39] Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee Mikhail Margelov said the precedent set by Kosovo "will inspire separatists not only in Europe, but in the Middle East as well.
He stated that Kosovo was under international administration for over a decade, and was the place of ethnic crimes in a bloody conflict; conversely, no such events engulfed Crimea before 2014.
[41][42] In October 2017, Czech president Miloš Zeman called the international community's recognition of Kosovo independence and protest over Crimean annexation as 'double standards'.
[43] EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana has expressed concern that Kosovo's campaign for independence could set a precedent for Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
[45][46] South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Transnistria have all submitted formal requests for recognition of their independence to Russia, among other countries, and international organisations citing Kosovo as a precedent.
[47][48] Abkhazia's Sergei Bagapsh and South Ossetia's Eduard Kokoity said in a statement addressed to the United Nations: "If Kosovo is separated from Serbia and its independence is recognised, one more powerful proof will emerge that ethnic conflicts can be solved on principles other than a respect for territorial integrity ... Abkhazia and South Ossetia have just as strong grounds to demand independence as Kosovo.
[51] Armenia's Deputy Parliament Speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan has said Kosovo's independence will influence the settlement of the dispute over Artsakh Republic.
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan declared at the UN General Assembly session in October 2007 that the Armenian side “does not understand and cannot accept the reverse logic that Kosovo was given independence and that another nation cannot obtain self-determination.
US State Department Spokesman Tom Casey rejected the comparison stating "'[Kosovo's] status was managed under a specific U.N. Security Council resolution, with an understanding in that resolution that final status was something that was going to be decided by the international community at an appropriate time," Casey said, adding "Kosovo is not a precedent and should [not] be seen as a precedent for any other place out there in the world.
"[56] The then president of the unrecognised state of Transnistria Igor Smirnov said that "the Russian leadership, in recognising the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, has underlined the priority of the expression of the wills of the people for solving such problems".
[57] According to a poll of Bosnian Serbs taken by the Brussels-based Gallup Balkan Monitor in November 2010, 87 percent would support a referendum being called on Republika Srpska's independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
[63] In an interview, Dodik said if most countries recognise Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence, this would legitimise the right to secession and added "we do not see a single reason why we should not be granted the right to self-determination, the right envisaged in international conventions.
[66] Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat has rejected this connection saying "We do not see a direct link between the situation in Kosovo and the Cyprus Problem.
"[67] In Slovakia the Kosovo precedent is seen as a potential threat to its territorial integrity because of the worsened relations with the ethnic Hungarians that live on the south of the country.
