MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a treaty with the Crimean leaders to make the Black Sea peninsula part of the Russian Federation, two days after the Crimean population overwhelmingly voted in favor of seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia.
The treaty was signed on Tuesday at a ceremony at the Kremlin, wherein Crimea was represented by Prime Minister Sergey Aksenov and Sevastopol mayor Aleksey Chaly who were accompanied by Crimean top official Vladimir Konstantinov.
Earlier, the Russian president requested the lawmakers to ratify the agreement that would see both Crimea and the city of Sevastopol joining Russia.
“I ask you to consider the adoption of two new subjects of the Federation: Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol,” Putin told Parliamentarians.
“Since the adoption of the Russian Federation Republic of Crimea in structure of the Russian Federation two new entities – of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Federal importance Sevastopol – have been created,” the text of the treaty reads.
The treaty enumerates ten articles which will come into effect after ratification by the parliament.
US, Britain, France condemn Russia’s actions in Crimea
Meanwhile, the US Vice President Joe Biden, who is in Poland for talks with regional allies concerned about Russia’s military incursion into Crimea, condemned Russia’s actions in Crimea and warned of further sanctions against Moscow.
On other hand, Britain suspended military cooperation with Russia in light of the conflict over Crimea.
In a statement in London, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the move will mean canceling a planned naval exercise and suspending a British Royal Navy ship visit to Russia.
The French President Francois Hollande in his statement in Paris also condemned the decision by the Russian president to sign a treaty integrating Crimea into Russia and urged the European Union to give a strong response to Russia.
