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Crimea always part of Russia - Putin Crimea always part of Russia - Putin
(35 minutes later)
President Putin has told a special session of Russia's parliament that "in people's heart of hearts, Crimea has always been part of Russia". President Vladimir Putin has told Russia's parliament that Crimea has "always been part of Russia".
Mr Putin was speaking at the Kremlin, where he announced new laws for Crimea to join the Russian Federation and asked MPs to back the move.Mr Putin was speaking at the Kremlin, where he announced new laws for Crimea to join the Russian Federation and asked MPs to back the move.
Crimean officials say 97% of voters backed splitting from Ukraine in a controversial referendum on Sunday. Mr Putin and Crimea's leaders then signed an agreement formalising the region's absorption into Russia.
The EU and US have declared the vote illegal and imposed sanctions. Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on Monday after a widely condemned referendum.
Crimean officials say 97% of voters backed splitting from Ukraine, but the EU and US have declared the vote illegal and imposed sanctions. The government in Kiev described the vote as a "circus" held at gunpoint.
Crimea was taken over by pro-Russian forces in late February after Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia following months of street protests.Crimea was taken over by pro-Russian forces in late February after Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia following months of street protests.
Following Sunday's referendum, the region's new leaders declared independence and applied to Moscow to join Russia. The EU and US have declared the vote illegal and imposed sanctions in response.
Mr Putin has recognised Crimea as a sovereign state and approved a draft bill on the accession. Travel bans and asset freezes have been imposed on government officials and other figures in Russia, Crimea and Ukraine, but these have been largely dismissed as ineffectual in Russia.
On Tuesday, in a televised address in front of both houses of parliament - and in the presence of Crimea's new leaders - he said those behind Ukraine's uprising were "extremists" who had brought chaos to Ukraine. 'More than convincing'
Crimea, he said, "was and is an inseparable part of Russia", and the results of the referendum were "more than convincing". Mr Putin earlier on Tuesday recognised Crimea as a sovereign state and approved a draft bill on the accession.
The people of Crimea were not prepared to put up with "this historical injustice", he said, insisting they had a right to self-determination. Then in a televised address in front of both houses of parliament - and in the presence of Crimea's new leaders - he said: "In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an inseparable part of Russia."
"The people of Crimea clearly and convincingly expressed their will - they want to be with Russia." The referendum had been legal and its results were "more than convincing", he said.
Mr Putin praised the "courage, bearing and dignity" of Crimeans, and thanked all Russians for their "patriotic feeling". "The people of Crimea clearly and convincingly expressed their will - they want to be with Russia," he said, and were no longer prepared to put up with the "historical injustice" of being part of Ukraine.
"Don't trust those who frighten you with Russia... we do not need a divided Ukraine." He criticised Ukraine's post-uprising leaders and those behind the unrest, saying they were "extremists" who had brought chaos.
Russia, said Mr Putin, "will of course be facing foreign confrontation" in response to the Crimea move, "but we have to decide for ourselves, are we to protect our national interest or just carry on giving them away forever". He praised the "courage, bearing and dignity" of Crimeans, and thanked all Russians for their "patriotic feeling".
The audience frequently applauded at length during his speech and gave him a standing ovation. The West, he said, had behaved "irresponsibly" in backing the uprising, and dismissed concerns that Russia might go on to annex more of Ukraine.
"Don't trust those who frighten you with Russia... we do not need a divided Ukraine" he said.
Russia "will of course be facing foreign confrontation" he said. "But we have to decide for ourselves, are we to protect our national interest or just carry on giving them away forever?"
He also thanked China for its support during the crisis. Beijing, which routinely avoids commenting on the affairs of other countries, had abstained from voting on a UN draft resolution condemning Russia for its actions in Crimea.
The audience frequently applauded Mr Putin length during his speech and gave him a standing ovation, with chants of "Russia, Russia".
Mr Putin and Crimea's Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov then signed the bill to make the Black Sea peninsula a part of Russia.
The bill must now be approved by the constitutional court and then ratified by parliament.
The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says the process is likely to be completed by the end of the week.
The Ukrainian crisis began in November last year after President Viktor Yanukovych ditched an EU deal in favour of stronger ties with Russia.The Ukrainian crisis began in November last year after President Viktor Yanukovych ditched an EU deal in favour of stronger ties with Russia.