Russia moves to annex Crimea

Chinese observers say the process may be lengthy; West looks to increase sanctions

Russia is working on legislation allowing Crimea to join the country, with the West vowing tougher sanctions against Moscow after Sunday's Crimean referendum.

Crimea formally applied to join Russia on Monday after 97 percent of voters in the referendum opted in favor of quitting Ukraine.

Chinese analysts said uncertainties remain over Crimea joining Russia and it could be a lengthy process.

Crimeans celebrate in Lenin Square in the capital Simferopol on Sunday after referendum results showed an overwhelming majority voted in favor of the autonomous republic joining Russia. The Russian lower house will issue a statement on the referendum on Tuesday. [Photo/Agencies]

Russia's Interfax News Agency quoted Deputy Speaker of the State Duma, Sergei Neverov, as saying on Monday that the lower house of parliament will pass legislation allowing Crimea to join Russia "in the very near future".

It also said the lower house will issue a statement on Tuesday in support of Crimea's referendum results.

Crimea's Deputy Prime Minister, Rustam Temirgaliyev, was quoted by Interfax as saying that the region has set up a new central bank and is expecting to receive $30 million in support from Russia to help stabilize its financial situation.

Feng Yujun, director of the Russian Studies Division at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said countermeasures from the West and strong concerns from other members of the former Soviet Union will remain worries for Russia.

Qu Xing, president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the process of annexing Crimea will be a long one.

He said it is hard to predict Crimea's future. "It depends on interaction among the West, Russia and Ukraine."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei, commenting on the referendum, said on Monday that China respects all countries' independent sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The issue should be politically resolved within the framework of law and order," he said.

European Union foreign ministers moved on Monday toward imposing more sanctions on Russian and Crimean officials linked to the secession of the peninsula. These include asset freezes and travel bans.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague hinted that more measures against Russia could be taken at a summit of EU leaders starting on Thursday.

The EU has already suspended talks with Russia on a wide-ranging economic pact and a visa agreement, and EU leaders could start slapping economic sanctions on Russia over the weekend.

The ministers are also expected to cancel an EU-Russia summit, scheduled for June in Sochi, Russia.

At the same time, ministers have hinted that they want to prevent any punitive measures from being too drastic.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said any measures must leave "ways and possibilities open to prevent a further escalation that could lead to the division of Europe".

The US is also preparing to identify Russians to punish with visa bans and asset freezes, authorized by President Barack Obama this month.

The White House said in a statement that Obama told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that the US and its allies in Europe would impose sanctions against Russia should it annex Crimea.

However, the Associated Press said on Monday, "The Obama administration slightly shifted its focus to keeping Russia from encroachment into Ukraine beyond Crimea, where it has a large naval base."

Yang Cheng, deputy director of the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, said that in past decades Moscow's policy priority regarding the Ukraine situation has been to put Ukraine under its defense umbrella on the precondition that the territorial integrity of Ukraine is guaranteed.

"As long as Ukraine is trying to drift away from Russia and goes closer to the West, Moscow would step up pressure and ask Ukraine to ensure Russia's interests," Yang said.

The best option for the West is to prevent the turbulence in Ukraine from running out of control, Yang said.

Qu Xing, from the China Institute of International Studies, said the raised stakes between the West and Moscow in the region have left Ukraine no room to move and makes it more unlikely that a solution will be found that pleases both sides.

Contact the writers at lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn and zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn

Reuters and AP contributed to this story.