Crimea votes to re-join Russia; EU, US impose sanctions

A day after Crimea voted to break away from Ukraine and re-join Russia, in a referendum, in which officials said 97 per cent of voters supported breaking off from Ukraine and re-joining Russia, western powers and their allies, including Japan, imposed sanctions on Russia and a number of individuals in Russia and Ukraine who they consider as instrumental in the bifurcation of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed this weekend's referendum in Crimea on Tuesday, saying the 96% who voted to join Russia was "an extremely convincing figure," even as the European Union (EU) and the United States clamped a ban on travel and ordered freezing of assets of a number of officials from Russia and Ukraine.

The targeted individuals had been instrumental to the referendum, which Kiev, the US and EU deemed illegal. The individuals include, Russian deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin (US), head of Russia's upper house Valentina Matviyenko (US), acting PM of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov (US and EU), speaker of Crimean parliament Vladimir Konstantinov (US and EU, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych (US) and others.

The crisis comes after Ukraine's pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted on 22 February by pro-EU forces after months of street protests after pro-Russia Yanukovych rejected a planned EU trade deal in favour of closer ties with Moscow.

Crimea was largely opposed to the EU-Ukraine deal and pro-Russian forces had been in control of Crimea since late February. Moscow also said, the troops were pro-Russian self-defence forces and not under its direct control.

US president Barack Obama told a press conference that Washington stood "ready to impose further sanctions" depending on escalation or de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine by Russia.

However, though the US and Europe hit Vladimir Putin's inner circle with sanctions, the Russian leader continued  with his apparent goal of annexing Crimea.

The White House said the measures were the toughest against Russia since the Cold War and warned that economic power brokers in Moscow would be targeted if the Kremlin did not change course.

Meanwhile, even as there was no sign of Putin backing down, Crimea's pro-Moscow authorities made plans to swiftly honour Sunday's 96 per cent referendum for a return to the Russian fold.

Putin moved a step closer to a formal annexation of the territory with the recognition of its independence from Ukraine, clearing the way for Russian lawmakers to later endorse its accession.

The dramatic developments on Monday had triggered the most direct clash between the west and the Kremlin in decades.

Canada and Japan too announced sanctions. Japan denounced the Russia for its "deplorable" move in recognising the breakaway vote.

AFP quoted officials as saying that, for now, the sanctions would target individuals and not wider Russian business interests.

Meanwhile, Putin, speaking to a joint session of Parliament in Moscow, stressed the historical and cultural ties between Russia and Crimea, and said Crimea is an inalienable part of Russia.

"In our hearts we know Crimea has always been an inalienable part of Russia," he said.

Putin earlier formally notified his nation's parliament of Crimea's accession request and signed a draft order on the agreement, the Kremlin said.

The move comes a day after Putin signed a decree recognising Ukraine's Crimea region as a sovereign state.

Despite the convincing 97% voters casting ballots in favour of divorcing Ukraine and becoming part of Russia, US president Barack Obama dismissed the vote as illegal.

"The international community will continue to stand together to oppose any violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, and continued Russian military intervention in Ukraine will only deepen Russia's diplomatic isolation and exact a greater toll on the Russia economy," Obama said.

Western powers slapped sanctions on more than two dozen Russian officials and their allies in Crimea, while Ukrainian officials vowed they would never accept the territory's annexation by Russia.

But the lower house of Russia's parliament, the Duma, shrugged off the sanctions Tuesday, going so far as to draft a statement calling for all its members to be listed.

"Our position is clear. We do not betray our own. We will never betray Russian-speaking citizens or those who live on Crimean territory who have made the decision to be with Russia," the statement said, according to state news agency ITAR-Tass.

"Today we suggest that the Americans include all the members of the Duma on their sanctions list. Our principles aren't for sale and we aren't afraid of sanctions."