• published: 08 Mar 2014
• views: 111

Russia's parliament gave its defiant support Friday to Crimean lawmakers who want to see their region split from Ukraine and join Russia, saying no sanctions imposed by the United States or Europe will change its mind. A delegation from the Crimean parliament, in Moscow a day after its lawmakers voted unanimously to split from Ukraine, said it would put the decision to a public vote on March 16. But Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has condemned those backing a split. Crimea, an autonomous region in southern Ukraine with an ethnic Russian majority and strong cultural ties to Russia, has become the epicenter of a battle for influence between Moscow, Kiev and the West. Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, told the Crimean delegation it would "support and welcome" any decision made by the Crimean people to become a part of Russia. America's military options in Crimea The Putin perspective Activist: This moment is hard to overcome Tension boils in Ukraine "We have no rights to leave our people when there's a threat to them. None of the sanctions will be able to change our attitude," Matvienko said. The delegation was greeted with applause in the lower house, where the speaker described the decision to hold the referendum as "dictated by the willingness to protect human rights and lives." The Crimean government, which was installed a little more than a week ago after armed, pro-Russian men took over the parliament building in Simferopol, does not recognize the interim government in Kiev. The authorities in Kiev, in turn, say the Crimean government is illegitimate. Yatsenyuk, speaking Friday in Kiev, said: "I want to warn separatists and other traitors of the Ukrainian state who are trying to work against Ukraine, any of your decisions taken is unlawful, unconstitutional, and nobody in the civilized world is going to recognize the results of the so-called referendum of the so-called Crimean authorities." He said he'd requested a second telephone conversation with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Yatsenyuk, who was in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday as European Union talks on sanctions against Russia took place, insisted then that "Crimea was, is and will be an integral part of Ukraine." Monitors suggested U.S. President Barack Obama set out a potential solution to the crisis in Ukraine when he spoke to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday, the White House said. The proposal would include direct talks between Kiev and Moscow, the withdrawal of Russian forces to their bases, international support for elections due May 25, and the presence of international monitors to "ensure that the rights of all Ukrainians are protected, including ethnic Russians." Obama also rejected the Crimean lawmakers' decision to call a referendum, saying: "In 2014, we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders." International observers are welcome to witness Crimea's upcoming referendum on joining the Russian Federation, the delegation of the newly installed Crimean parliament said in Moscow. Map of CrimeaMap of Crimea CNN reporter told to stop broadcasting Stopping Crimea from rejoining Russia Ukrainians react to Crimea referendum Meanwhile, international monitors called in by Kiev will try again Friday to gain access to Crimea, which has been under effective Russian control for several days. On Thursday, armed men at checkpoints turned back the 35-strong team from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a regional security bloc. But members of the OSCE team told CNN's Matthew Chance, who is traveling with them from Kherson in southern Ukraine toward the Crimean peninsula, that they intend to be more assertive Friday as they seek to get in and assess the situation. Asset freezes, visa bans As they seek to put the diplomatic squeeze on Russia to pull back its forces from Crimea and negotiate with Kiev, EU nations announced Thursday they will suspend bilateral talks with Russia on visa matters and have threatened travel bans, asset freezes and cancellation of a planned EU-Russia summit. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told French public radio Friday that tougher measures are planned if Moscow doesn't act to de-escalate the situation. "Without very prompt results, there will be further measures against Russian officials and companies. Those could be asset freezes, cancellations, visa denials," he told France Info. "And if another attempt is made, then we would enter into something completely different -- that is to say serious consequences for the relations between Europe and Russia." The United States also has taken action. The State Department has imposed a visa ban on Russian and Ukrainian officials and others that it said are responsible for, or complicit in, threatening Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.