Crimean officials have announced that 95.5% of voters in the referendum support joining Russia, with around half the votes counted.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has defended Russia’s actions in Crimea, describing the military intervention as a “legitimate” action, as tensions remains high in Ukraine.
Ukraine, the EU, and the US have condemned the move by Crimean MPs to announce a referendum on the region leaving Ukraine and joining Russia, as tensions remain high.
An American television news anchor for the Russian state-owned RT network resigned live on air last night in response to the “whitewashed” coverage of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
As the crisis in Ukraine continues, one possibility for the future is the division of the country along roughly ethnic lines with a pro-Europe western state and a pro-Russia eastern state. What would the economies of these potential new states look like?