Crimean Referendum: Mr Putin and the Threat of a New Cold War

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Through a series of interventions in civil liberties, Mr Putin is turning a soft autocracy into a highly repressive state

The referendum that took place in Crimea is both irrelevant and deeply significant. Irrelevant because it has no standing in the law of the country to which it applies, and because it took place while the autonomous region was under military occupation. International bodies are unlikely to recognise its outcome: the UN security council voted by 13-1 to condemn it on Saturday, with only Russia voting against. The referendum is significant, however, because it represents a giant step on the road to Russian annexation, and because it reveals a little more of the nature of that country's president, Vladimir Putin. » | Editorial | Sunday, March 16, 2014

Galloway: West Created Frankenstein Monster in Ukraine

Ukraine's Right Sector members stormed and torched government buildings - and attacked unarmed police squads. They also consistently rejected the concessions offered by the Yanukovich administration, when it was trying in vain to calm the unrest. And now, they have become arguably one of the most influential groups in Ukraine. British MP George Galloway says the West needs to recognize the dangers it poses.

Crimea Votes to Return to ‘Motherland’

CNN's Anna Coren visits a polling station where an overwhelming majority say they want to return to the "Motherland."

Inside Story: Crimea Referendum: Ukraine or Russia?

As people in Crimea vote to join Russia, we discuss what the move means for Ukraine.