Crimea to join Russia?
The crisis in Ukraine and its Crimean peninsula deepened on Thursday as the region's parliament voted to secede from Ukraine and become a part of the Russian federation. There will now be a referendum on March 16 asking inhabitants of Crimea whether they would like to remain Ukraine or join Russia.
Meanwhile, the Russian Duma announced that it would hold a vote next week on the possibility of Crimea becoming a part of Russia. The Ukrainian government in its turn has said the Crimean parliament's decision to hold the referendum is “illegal.”
EU leaders, the US State Department and the new government of Ukraine all branded the referendum decision illegal because it was in breach of the Ukrainian constitution.
In further developments, United States president Barack Obama decided today to slam sanctions on the Russian officials “responsible for undermining the democratic system” in Ukraine. The US State Department has also decided to introduce visa bans on those who “threaten the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine.”
Five EU members: Poland, Germany, France, UK and Italy have also decided to introduce diplomatic sanctions against Moscow including freezing preparations for the planned G8 summit in Russia “till further notice.” Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, said that if the Crimean peninsula is absorbed by Russia it would mean the “end of world peace and border sovereignty.
