Crimean Lawmakers Vote to Leave Ukraine, Join Russia
From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.
The crisis in Ukraine continued this week. OnThursday, lawmakers in Crimea approved a measureto make the peninsula part of Russia. The Crimeanlawmakers also called a referendum on the issue. Thespecial election is set for March 16th.
Sergei Shuvainikov is a deputy in the Crimeanparliament. He said voters would be asked twoquestions: “First, ‘Do you vote for the reunion of Crimeawith the Russian Federation, as a subject of theRussian Federation?’ Second, ‘Do you vote for therestoration of the 1992 constitution and for Crimea to bepart of Ukraine?’”
The vote in the Crimean parliament came as European Union leaders heldemergency meetings in Brussels, Belgium. EU officials want to pressureRussia into recalling military forces from Crimea.
An aide to the commander of Ukraine’s border guards said there are now30,000 Russian soldiers in the area. That is in comparison to the 11,000troops that were with Russia’s Black Sea fleet in the port of Sevastopol beforethe crisis began. Russian officials have denied the additional soldiers belongto its armed forces.
Yatsenyuk dismisses vote to join Russia
Ukraine’s acting Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, was at the talks inBrussels. He dismissed the Crimean parliament’s vote to join Russia.
“This is illegitimate decision and this so-called referendum has no legalgrounds at all. That’s the reason why we urge the Russian government not tosupport those who claim separatism in Ukraine. Crimea was, is and will be anintegral part of Ukraine.”
He also said his government is open to talks with Russia about the crisis.
“We are ready for co-operation, but we are not ready to surrender and to be the subordinate of Russia.”
The situation in Ukraine has worsened Russian relations with the West,including the United States. President Barack Obama says the presence ofRussian forces in the Crimean peninsula violates Ukraine’s rights as anindependent country. On Thursday, he ordered sanctions against individualsfound to have violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The actions include visarestrictions. The EU also announced measures against Russia, suspendingtalks on visas and a new economic agreement.
Obama and Putin discuss situation by telephone
President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephonefor about an hour on Thursday. President Putin dismissed an Americanwarning over Russia’s involvement in Crimea. Russian officials said Mr. Putindenounced Ukraine’s new western-supported government as “illegitimate”. And he said his country cannot ignore calls for help from Crimea and theeastern and southern parts of Ukraine.
As a way of finding a solution to the crisis, President Obama called for directtalks between Russia and Ukraine.
Mr. Obama is not alone in his reaction to the increased Russian involvementin Crimea. A top official of the European Union called the Russian actionsillegal. Jan Tombinski, the EU’s representative in Russia, said Crimea cannotdecide to leave Ukraine just because of an election that included only Crimea. He said article 73 in Ukraine’s constitution makes the referendum illegal.
And that’s In the News from VOA Learning English. I’m Steve Ember
Source: VOA
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