Putin adds Crimea to Russia's map, inks treaty

MOSCOW (AP):

Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, today added Crimea to the map of Russia.



Putin described the move as correcting past injustice and responding to what he called Western encroachment upon Russia's vital interests.



In an emotional 40-minute speech televised live from the Kremlin, Putin said "in people's hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia."



He dismissed Western criticism of Sunday's Crimean referendum — in which residents of the strategic Black Sea peninsula overwhelmingly backed breaking off from Ukraine and joining Russia — as a manifestation of the West's double standards.



However, the Russian leader insisted his nation has no intention to invade other regions of Ukraine, saying "we don't want a division of Ukraine, we don't need that."



Following the speech before lawmakers and top officials, Putin and Crimean officials signed a treaty for the region to join Russia.



The treaty will have to be endorsed by Russia's Constitutional Court and ratified by both houses of parliament, but Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of upper house of Russian parliament, said the procedure could be completed by the end of the week.



Crimea had been part of Russia since the 18th century until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine in 1954.



Both Russians and Crimea's majority ethnic Russian population see annexation as correcting a historic insult.



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