Vladimir Putin to push ahead with annexation of Crimea
Russian president Vladimir Putin has told his parliament of Crimea's application to join Russia, and is set to be moving forward with annexing Crimea into Russia.
Obama administration impose Russian sanctions
President Obama has come out to condone Russia's actions in Crimea by imposing sanctions on key individuals.
The US has said it is imposing sanctions on 11 people. Those include Russian government officials - including aides to Russian President Putin, Vladislov Surkov and Sergei Glazyev, Crimea-based separatist leader Vladimir Konstantinov and ousted Ukrainan President Viktor Yanukovych.
He said: "The future of Ukraine must be decided by the people of Ukraine. Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected." He continued by saying the Crimean referendum won't be recognized by the international community.
"We will calculate a response if Russia chooses to escalate or de-escalate the situation. We are standing firm in our unwavering support for Ukraine."
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Russia defiant in face of Western sanctions
Putin's decree recognising Crimea as a 'sovereign country' has triggered the toughest sanctions against Russia since the Cold War.
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Crimea 'votes to rejoin Russia' after controversial poll
With over half of the votes counted, over 95% of people in Crimea have voted to become part of Russia, election officials have said.
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The West's response to Crimea situation depends on Putin
At some point the West's warnings will have to become deeds, part of the problem is they don't know which Putin they're dealing with.