© AP Photo/Sergei ChirikovRussian President Vladimir Putin signs bills making Crimea part of Russia in the Kremlin in Moscow, Friday, March 21, 2014. President Vladimir Putin completed the annexation of Crimea on Friday, signing the peninsula into Russia at nearly the same time his Ukrainian counterpart sealed a deal pulling his country closer into Europe's orbit.
Putin said he saw no need to further retaliate against U.S. sanctions, a newly conciliatory tone that apparently aimed to contain one of the worst crises in Russia's relations with the West since the Cold War. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry said a few hours later that Moscow will "harshly" respond to the latest round of U.S. sanctions - the conflicting signals apparently intended to persuade the West to end the spat over Ukraine.
At Ukrainian bases on the peninsula, troops hesitated, besieged by Russian forces and awaiting orders. Russia claimed some had already switched sides and agreed to join the Russian military. Friday had been the deadline for Ukrainian troops to leave Crimea, join the Russian military or demobilize.
Russia rushed the annexation of the strategic peninsula after residents there voted in a hastily called referendum Sunday to leave Ukraine and join Russia. Ukraine and the West have rejected the vote, saying it was held at gunpoint since Russian troops had seized control of Crimea two weeks earlier. The U.S. and EU have responded to the crisis by slapping sanctions on Russia.
"Ukraine and the West have rejected the vote."
Actually AP, what you really mean is that the illegal Ukraine government and the western psychopathic political elite have rejected the vote,
because a very large segment of the awake and aware world of normal human beings are onto your lies and bullshit.
Start packing your bags IMF, we've got you on the run.
And failed state USA, you're on the way out as well.
Good riddance.