How A Fight Over Natural Resources Is Quietly Driving The World’s Response To Ukraine

Mar 6, 2015 | Igor Volsky and Kiley Kroh
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On Thursday, the fast-moving crisis in Ukraine took another surprising turn as the de facto authorities of Crimea, the semi-autonomous Ukrainian republic that is currently occupied by Russian forces, voted to become part of Russia. Members of the Crimean parliament announced that a public referendum to ratify the decision will be moved up to March 16.

Ukraine’s interim prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, responded from Brussels, where he is currently meeting with European Union officials, “This so-called referendum has no legal ground at all … Crimea was, is and will be an integral part of Ukraine.”