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Ukraine crisis: Crimea parliament asks to join Russia | Ukraine crisis: Crimea parliament asks to join Russia |
(35 minutes later) | |
MPs in Crimea have asked Moscow to allow the southern Ukrainian region to become part of the Russian Federation. | MPs in Crimea have asked Moscow to allow the southern Ukrainian region to become part of the Russian Federation. |
Parliament said if its request was granted, Crimean citizens could give their view in a referendum on 16 March. | Parliament said if its request was granted, Crimean citizens could give their view in a referendum on 16 March. |
A government minister in Kiev said it would be unconstitutional for Crimea to join Russia. | A government minister in Kiev said 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 meet 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 meet in Brussels to discuss how to respond to Russia's troop deployment on Ukrainian soil. |
Formal request | Formal request |
The Crimean parliament resolved "to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation". | 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 had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin "to start the procedure" of formally allowing Crimea to join the Russian Federation. | In a statement on its website, parliament said it had 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. | 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 | 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, said: "We're not working out what to do if Crimea joins the Russian Federation because we believe it's unconstitutional." | Ukraine's interim Economy Minister Pavlo Sheremeta, speaking in Kiev soon after the announcement, said: "We're not working out what to do if Crimea joins the Russian Federation because we believe it's unconstitutional." |
According to Article 73 of the Ukraine constitution, "alterations to the territory of Ukraine shall be resolved exclusively by an all-Ukrainian referendum". | |
But Crimea's deputy prime minister, Rustam Temirgaliev, said Crimea viewed the new interim authorities in Kiev as illegitimate, and as a consequence their referendum would be legal. | |
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. | 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. |
'Tough talks' | |
Ukraine's new interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk met the 28 EU leaders before their emergency meeting in Brussels. | |
Kiev, he said, was seeking a political solution, so "it depends on Russia, whether Russia is ready to fix this conflict". | |
Some EU members, particularly those from Eastern Europe, have been calling for tough sanctions on Russia, while others - led by Germany - prefer to go down the route of mediation. | |
Both US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are in Rome for a long-planned conference on Libya, but it is thought they may continue their discussions on Ukraine. | |
The two met in Paris on Wednesday, along with some EU leaders, in talks that Mr Kerry described as "tough". | |
In other developments | |
Pro-Russian gunmen moved in to seize strategic sites in Crimea after Viktor Yanukovych was ousted as the president of Ukraine following months of protests in Kiev. | |
The demonstrations - by Ukrainians seeking closer ties with the West - turned violent in mid-February with more than 90 people killed in clashes with police. | |
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