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Ukraine crisis: Crimea MPs vote to join Russia | Ukraine crisis: Crimea MPs vote to join Russia |
(34 minutes later) | |
MPs in the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea have voted to become part of the Russian Federation. | |
Parliament said the decision would be put to the Crimean people for their verdict in a referendum on 16 March. | Parliament said the decision would be put to the Crimean people for their verdict in a referendum on 16 March. |
A government minister in Kiev said they believe it would be unconstitutional for Crimea to join Russia. | A government minister in Kiev said they believe it would be unconstitutional for Crimea to join Russia. |
Crimea, a region whose population is mostly ethnic Russian, has been at the centre of tensions following the fall of Ukraine's pro-Moscow president. | Crimea, a region whose population is mostly ethnic Russian, has been at the centre of tensions following the fall of Ukraine's pro-Moscow president. |
Pro-Russian and Russian forces have been in de facto control of the peninsula, which already enjoys a degree of autonomy from Kiev, for several days. | Pro-Russian and Russian forces have been in de facto control of the peninsula, which already enjoys a degree of autonomy from Kiev, for several days. |
The announcement from Crimea's parliament comes as EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss how to respond to Russia's troop deployment on Ukrainian soil. | The announcement from Crimea's parliament comes as EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss how to respond to Russia's troop deployment on Ukrainian soil. |
Formal request | |
The Crimean parliament resolved "to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation". | |
In a statement on its website, parliament said it has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin "to start the procedure" of formally allowing Crimea to join the Russian Federation. | |
The Kremlin said President Putin was aware of developments in the Crimean parliament, but no response has yet been made public. | |
If Russia agrees to Crimea's request, the Crimean people will be asked two questions in the 16 March referendum, the statement says. | |
Ukraine's interim Economy Minister Pavlo Sheremeta, speaking in Kiev soon after the announcement was made, said: "We're not working out what to do if Crimea joins the Russian Federation because we believe it's unconstitutional." | |
The move by Crimea's parliament will significantly increase tensions as Western diplomats try to draw political leaders in Ukraine and Russia into negotiations to prevent a full Russian invasion of Ukraine, the BBC's Richard Galpin reports from Moscow. |