An important clarification from Russia Today News.

[BlueMTexpat]

6. Those who doubt RT may wish to note that even the NYT

mentioned the Russia Ukraine Friendship Treaty at the time, although there were different leaders in place then (1997).

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/01/world/setting-past-aside-russia-and-ukraine-sign-friendship-treaty.html

From the NYT link:

The Crimea was ceded to Ukraine as a gift from Russia by Nikita S. Khrushchev in 1954. At the time, the gesture was essentially symbolic since both Russia and the Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union, but it has been a matter of intense dispute and antagonism since 1991, when the Soviet Union fell apart.

The treaty was first written, and nearly signed, two years ago, and it has not been substantially altered since then.

The main points stress political and commercial cooperation between the countries, and it includes a joint statement on the Black Sea Fleet that will permit Russia to operate on Ukrainian territory.

See also https://archive.org/details/russianukrainian00stew

But little things like treaties or history or FACTS never seem to bother the warmongers who hope to profit from disaster.