Russia’s Parliament has approved the use of armed force in Ukraine, even as the West warned Moscow not to intervene in the troubled post-Soviet state.
President Vladimir Putin, who is Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armed forces, asked Parliament for permission to use the Russian armed forces to “protect” Russian civilians and military in Ukraine.
Meeting in emergency session on Saturday the Federation Council, the Russian Parliament’s upper house, unanimously granted its “consent for the use of armed forces in Ukraine till normalisation of the situation” in the neighbouring country.
The move came in response to a request of help to “secure peace and calm” in Crimea from the newly appointed pro-Russian Prime Minister of the region.
Sergei Aksyonov said on Saturday that Russian troops from the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea were already guarding vital facilities in the region and helping ensure public order.
“The situation in the autonomous republic of Crimea has been taken under full control,” said Mr Aksyonov, who replaced a centre-appointed head of Crimea after the region rejected the authority of new government in Kiev.
Mr Aksyonov told a cabinet meeting on Saturday that a referendum on greater independence of Crimea from Kiev will be held on March 30, almost two months earlier than announced on Thursday. Voters will be asked to say yes or no to the question:
“The Autonomous Republic of the Crimea enjoys state independence and is part of Ukraine on the basis of treaties and agreements.”
On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators rallied in Ukraine’s Russian-speaking cities of Donets and Kharkiv in support of the demand to call similar referendums in their regions.
In announcing plans to send more troops to Crimea Mr Putin ignored U.S. President Barack Obama’s warnings of consequences for Moscow’s interference.
“Any violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilising, which is not in the interests of Ukraine, Russia or Europe.” Mr Obama said in a statement from the White House on Friday.
Russia’s lawmakers on Saturday asked Mr Putin to recall the Russian ambassador from the U.S. in protest against Mr Obama’s “threats.”
Ukraine’s Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov accused Russia of trying to annex Crimea as it did in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008.
“Russia has launched undisguised aggression against our country,” Mr Turchynov said in a TV address, appealing to Mr Putin to “stop provocations and start negotiations.”
A senior Ukrainian official told local media that 13 Russian transport aircraft carrying nearly 2,000 troops had landed at a military air base near Simferopol.
However, Russia's ambassador to the U.N. Vitaly Churkin said that any Russian military movements in Crimea were within Moscow’s agreement with Ukraine for leasing a Soviet-era naval base in Crimea’s Sevastopol. The Russian envoy rejected a U.S. proposal of a closed-door meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday to send an international mediation team to Crimea to help stabilise the situation in the region.
Keywords: Ukraine crisis, Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine protests


























@Bahu Virupaksha
Those who staged a coup by removing Ukrainian president are anti-Russian and pro-US. Please comment after learning at least basic background.
The west is always hell bent on creating trouble. The US interests are
always enhanced when there is trouble and war. The west creates trouble
so that they can take advantage, let that be Iran, China, Pakistan or
North korea.
The arrogance and hypocrisy of the American and EU has gone too far,
especially with this interference in Ukraine. It has become the habit
of the United States, UK, France and Germany to use the bogey of
"international community" and "sanctions" to threaten any
government/country that stands up to the West. To do this, they keep
manipulating the United Nations.
In my opinion, this Ukranian issue is likely to be the "last straw
that broke the camel's back", as far as the United Nations is
concerned. All the BRICS countries should come together and withdraw
completely from the United Nations. It is high time that the deeply
flawed 'United Nations' architecture is allowed to collapse. Only
then will the West learn some lessons.
When US can interfere and give justice in afghan and Iraq, why russia
cant.It is also one among the super powers.After US intimidation's such
a dare move could be possible only by few people like putin.Hope this
time putin will prove, obama is not the only influential president in
the world.Russia rocks!!!!!
The foreign policy of America is described as fighting Proxy war to capture strategic places across the globe for vested self interest. This is corroborated by its past activities in Iraq,Afghanistan,Arab spring, Iran etc. The strife in Ukraine is a topping over ongoing Syrian crisis.Russia's opposition to outright American intervention in Syria finally culminated to open challenge over Ukraine. Bifurcation of Ukraine can only bring back piece because--
1.)Western Half of the country wants EU while eastern Ukraine wants to merge in Russia.2.) Both US and Russia are Bipolar powerful entities. One bowing to other is far impossible.
The most viable solution is to hold referendum in Ukraine over whether it should remain truly sovereign or merge with either of two nations(US or Russia) or bifurcate to merge with either.
Since Russia has decided to send troops,the situation is going to get tough.For America in the midst of economic crises,solving Afghanistan & Syria hegemony is imperative.
The West will not do anything for the Tartars. They do not belong to
their idea of what constitutes their people. Only loud condemnations and
sabre rattling will ensue, which may not spook Putin into pulling back.
No, the West will do nothing tangible... So sorry, the Crimea contains
neither oil nor gold. And Florence Nightingale is passe. Imagine what an
outcry would have resulted, if India had done the same thing in Sri
Lanka!
well done Russia ......
It is high time that western power should be shown their actual worth.
NO more coups in the mask of revolution atleast in territories where
Russia wield influence be it Syria ,Iran, Ukraine etc.
âAny violation of Ukraineâs sovereignty and territorial integrity would
be deeply destabilising, which is not in the interests of Ukraine,
Russia or Europe.â Mr Obama said in a statement from the White House on
Friday.One fails to understand what voice Mr.Obama got to make such a
comment.
I support Russia's decision in this matter.
Kremlinâs tactics will not backfire, but let's face it -- they didn't
in Georgia and Ukraine is their immediate neighbour and Crimea houses
Russian strategic stronghold (Naval Black Sea Fleet). The West will
not risk a costly military confrontation with a great nuclear power;
it would not have public support and it would endanger the world.
It reminded of Stalin's comment that he regretted not moving into
Finland after the war because, as he said, the âAmericans wouldn't
have lifted a fingerâ. That's the way the Russians think, and US
response will predictably be similar to cold war response -- an
essentially defensive posture that draws its lines at the Russian
sphere.
Moscow could be hurt very minimally by sanctions and ostracism and is
no doubt searching for a way to recapture Russian territory without
creating a major fracas. Hence signs of the classically Putinesque
tactic is in process. Vladimir Putin is a master of realpolitik, and
as in Georgia, he will likely be successful.
Cold war is not over. America and the western countries are held bend to
create problems every where, be it in Afghanistan, middle east, Iran,
China, Pakistan, India, Africa etc. They think that "only may way and
nothing else". God save the world from these bullies.
The timing of Sochi winter Olympics was used by western forces to
engineer a coup masked as a revolution in Ukraine.
Putin will show them and his detractors their place now since Olympics
have come to an end.
Russia is doing exactly what USA has been doing all over the Middle
East. Destabilize the Government and prop up a rebel group arm it and
then change the ground realities in favor of the political and strategic
ointerests of the Big Power.
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