FINANCIAL TIMES: The Russian government has said it regards the Crimean parliament’s intention to declare the region independent from Ukraine “absolutely legitimate”, adding that it fully supports the referendum planned for this weekend, in further signs that diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis are failing.
The announcement followed an appeal by Ukraine’s parliament to Washington and London on Tuesday urging them to utilise all “diplomatic, political, economic and military” means to counter Russian intervention on the Crimean peninsula and to preserve the nation’s territorial integrity…
“If you do not uphold these guarantees which you signed up to in the Budapest Memorandum, then explain how you will convince Iran and North Korea to give up their nuclear status?” he asked… (more)
