Russia under fire over Crimea poll
FOREIGN secretary William Hague last night joined a chorus of disapproval condemning a controversial referendum in the Crimea as a “mockery of proper democratic practice,” even as Russia claimed it had won a 95.5 per cent mandate for it to annex the Ukrainian province.
President Obama’s spokesman said “the international community will not recognise the results of a poll administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law.”
In a statement, Russia denied breaking international law, citing the precedent of Kosovo.
The vote puts pressure on a short-term truce between Russia and Ukraine also agreed yesterday.
As polling stations closed in the annexed region last night, Ukraine’s acting defence minister Ihor Tenyukh said a deal had been struck between the interim government and Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and other defence forces.
“No measures will be taken against our military facilities in Crimea during that time, [to 21 March]” Tenyukh said, adding that Ukrainian forces would be free to take on supplies, having been surrounded in their bases by Russian troops since February.
Hague is meeting EU leaders today about what steps to take next. Economic sanctions are widely expected. Over the weekend the UN Security Council voted to pass a resolution to bring conflict in Ukraine to an end, but this was vetoed by Russia. Council members were seeking to block the vote in Crimea, amid concerns it would allow President Putin to legitimise military action in the region.
Even before the vote’s result, tensions ran high yesterday after the conflict moved onto the internet. A number of Nato websites and the site for the Crimean referendum were hacked by a group calling themselves CyberBerkut, after the Ukrainian riot police disbanded by the interim government in Kiev.