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Ukraine crisis: Russia isolated in UN Crimea vote | Ukraine crisis: Russia isolated in UN Crimea vote |
(35 minutes later) | |
Russia has vetoed a draft UN resolution criticising Sunday's secession referendum in Ukraine's Crimea region - the only Security Council member to vote against the measure. | Russia has vetoed a draft UN resolution criticising Sunday's secession referendum in Ukraine's Crimea region - the only Security Council member to vote against the measure. |
China, regarded as a Russian ally on the issue, abstained from the vote. | China, regarded as a Russian ally on the issue, abstained from the vote. |
Western powers criticised Russia's veto over the referendum, which will ask Crimeans if they want to rejoin Russia. | Western powers criticised Russia's veto over the referendum, which will ask Crimeans if they want to rejoin Russia. |
Meanwhile, Kiev has accused Russian forces of seizing a village just north of Crimea and demanded they withdraw. | |
Ukraine's foreign ministry said 80 military personnel backed by four helicopter gunships and three armoured vehicles had taken the village of Strilkove. | |
An unnamed Russian official quoted by Pravda-Ukraine said they had taken action to protect a gas distribution station from "terrorist attacks". | An unnamed Russian official quoted by Pravda-Ukraine said they had taken action to protect a gas distribution station from "terrorist attacks". |
Russia intervened in the Crimean peninsula after the fall of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych on 22 February. | Russia intervened in the Crimean peninsula after the fall of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych on 22 February. |
Mr Yanukovych had sparked months of unrest across Ukraine by pulling out of a deal on closer ties with the European Union, and later opting for closer ties with Russia. | Mr Yanukovych had sparked months of unrest across Ukraine by pulling out of a deal on closer ties with the European Union, and later opting for closer ties with Russia. |
The Crimean region was part of Russia until 1954 and most of its residents are ethnic Russians, many of whom would prefer to be governed by Moscow rather than Kiev. | The Crimean region was part of Russia until 1954 and most of its residents are ethnic Russians, many of whom would prefer to be governed by Moscow rather than Kiev. |
Russia's Black Sea fleet is also still housed in Crimea. | Russia's Black Sea fleet is also still housed in Crimea. |
But Russia has signed agreements promising to uphold Ukraine's territorial integrity. | But Russia has signed agreements promising to uphold Ukraine's territorial integrity. |
Crimea's regional parliament instigated the secession referendum after MPs voted overwhelmingly to support rejoining Russia. | Crimea's regional parliament instigated the secession referendum after MPs voted overwhelmingly to support rejoining Russia. |
But the national parliament in Kiev ruled the referendum unconstitutional, and earlier on Saturday voted to disband the regional assembly. | But the national parliament in Kiev ruled the referendum unconstitutional, and earlier on Saturday voted to disband the regional assembly. |
At the United Nations, 13 members of the Security Council backed a resolution that called for all nations to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and condemned the referendum as illegal. | At the United Nations, 13 members of the Security Council backed a resolution that called for all nations to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and condemned the referendum as illegal. |
Western diplomats had expected Russia to veto the document, but got what they wanted when China abstained, says the BBC UN correspondent Nick Bryant. | |
China and Russia usually work in tandem at the Security Council. | |
But Beijing is sensitive about issues of territorial integrity, because of fears it could send a message to its own restive regions of Tibet and Xinjiang, our correspondent says. | |
America's UN envoy Samantha Power said it was a "sad and remarkable moment" and labelled Russia "isolated, alone and wrong". | |
She said Sunday's referendum was "illegal, unjustified and divisive" and would have no effect on the legal status of Crimea. | |
Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin said the referendum was necessary to fill the "legal vacuum" since Ukraine's "coup d'etat" last month. | |
Earlier in Moscow, tens of thousands rallied against Russia's actions in Ukraine, the biggest such protest in two years. | Earlier in Moscow, tens of thousands rallied against Russia's actions in Ukraine, the biggest such protest in two years. |
As many as 50,000 attended the rally, with protesters shouting: "Hands off Ukraine." | |
One man told the BBC he felt Russia was turning back to the days of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. | |
Nearby, some 15,000 supporters of President Vladimir Putin came out to support the Crimean referendum. | |
Many of them wore identical red outfits and carried Russian and Soviet flags | |
"We are for friendship of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples. We want to say a firm 'No' to the fascist junta that came to power in Ukraine," one man said. | |
Are you in Crimea? Are you planning to vote in the referendum? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with the subject heading 'Crimea vote'. | Are you in Crimea? Are you planning to vote in the referendum? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with the subject heading 'Crimea vote'. |