Russia Annexes Crimea

Vladimir Putin put pen to paper on Tuesday, signing a treaty to add Crimea to the Russian map, and declaring before the Russian parliament that Moscow is undeterred in its plan to annex Crimea, despite the backlash from the West. “Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia in the hearts and minds of people,” he said in a speech at the Grand Kremlin Palace. Putin's treaty still must be ratified by Russia's Constitutional Court and both houses of parliament, but it could be complete by the end of this week.