title: COMPARISONS ARE ODIOUS. INTERNATIONAL LEGAL PRECEDENTS MISUSED BY RUSSIAN LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP TO JUSTIFY THE SEIZURE OF CRIMEA
abstract: The author analyses historical examples that the Russian legal scholarship provides to justify the seizure of Crimea by the Russian Federation in February-March 2014 and explain the process as the 'reunification'. Special attention is drawn to the Kosovo case, the demise of the USSR and achievement of independence by Ukraine in 1991, the Aaland Islands case and the Quebec case are examined together with other 'precedents'. An author thoroughly considers the arguments used by the Russian side in 