Crimea’s parliament votes to join Russia - The Washington Post: The Russian Foreign Ministry posted a statement Monday elaborating on proposals, presented over the last several days to the United States and other countries, that could keep Ukraine intact.
It calls for a “contact group” of nations that would be required to carry on a dialogue with Kiev and Moscow, as Ukraine draws up a new constitution. Russia wants Ukraine to become a federal republic, with each region enjoying a considerable amount of autonomy on language and finances. That is a notion that the current government in Kiev totally opposes. It fears that it would lead to the break-up of the country, with the eastern regions moving closer to Russia against the wishes of the western regions. It would also deny Kiev a large share of the taxes that it currently collects.
Russia also wants Ukrainian guarantees that it would remain a neutral nation — and a United Nations Security Council Resolution to enshrine that neutrality. But the plan now being circulated also involves the European Union more deeply in settling the crisis. As first presented, the Russian plan included no explicit role for the E.U.
