Crimea votes to join Russia

The Crimean parliament voted unanimously "to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation". The vice premier of Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea military base in Sevastopol, said a referendum on the status would take place on March 16.

The parliament has also made a decision to ask the Russian leadership to "launch the procedure of Crimea becoming part of Russia."

The speaker of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, explained that the parliament's decision on the region joining Russia still has to be approved at a referendum.