Crimea PM pledges 'union with Russia' vote as planned
Iran Press TV
Sat Mar 8, 2014 6:4PM GMT
The prime minister of Ukraine's autonomous Crimea region says a referendum on whether to join the Russian Federation will go ahead as planned.
Sergei Aksyonov reiterated on Saturday that "no one" is capable of cancelling the referendum on union with Russia planned for March 16.
Aksyonov noted that the vote had been called so quickly to avert "provocation."
Talks of the referendum have dramatically raised tensions with Kiev, and outraged Ukrainian authorities are calling the vote unconstitutional and illegitimate.
Ukraine's Acting Foreign Minister Andrii Deshchytsia has said that his country will not give up Crimea in the south under any condition, and that the region will remain part of the Ukrainian territory.
Russia, however, has accused Ukraine's interim government of taking orders from extremists.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called for an investigation into deadly attacks on protesters during anti-government rallies in Kiev including sniper attacks.
The top diplomat said such bad happenings can no longer be swept under the carpet. The issue grabbed headlines after a phone conversation between EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet was leaked online.
Based on the leaked recording, Paet was telling Ashton on the phone that ousted Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, was not behind the fatal shootings and that the shooters had been hired by the opposition.
Ukraine has been gripped by a political crisis since November 2013, when Yanukovych refrained from signing an Association Agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia.
MOL/AB/SS
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