BACKFIRE!: Russia Takes Steps To Annex Crimea as the Implications of America's Meddling In Ukraine Becomes Clearer by the Day

US Secretary of State John Kerry: Insists that Crimea's vote to join
Russia was "illegal." He neglected to mention America's illegal
invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq, bombing of Yemen and Pakistan and
support for al Qaeda-allied "rebels" in Syria. (Screen capture from
USAToday video).

By Anna Arutunyan and Charles McPhedran
The Crimea moved one step closer to joining Russia Monday as its parliament formally requested Moscow annex the area and Russian President Vladimir Putin officially recognized the Crimean region of Ukraine as a sovereign independent state following the "will of the people."

Both moves were a sharp rebuff to the White House and the European Union which have declared the referendum illegal and a violation of international law and the Ukraine constitution.

The White House and the EU both announced new punitive economic measures Monday, including sanctions against seven Russian top officials.

Crimean lawmakers were already in Moscow to ask the Russia parliament to annex Crimea. The parliament, or Duma, was expected to take up the issue on Tuesday.

The decree signed by Putin recognized Crimea as a "sovereign and independent" state as a result of the "will of the people of Crimea" as expressed at in Sunday's referendum, the Russian ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

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