West Warns Russia Not to Annex Crimea After Referendum

The U.S. and the European Union warned Russia not to annex Crimea after a referendum in the southern Ukrainian region, setting the stage for sanctions on Russia in the worst diplomatic standoff since the Cold War.

A total of 96.8 percent of voters in the Black Sea peninsula yesterday backed leaving Ukraine to join Russia, the head of the election commission, Mikhail Malyshev, told reporters. The results exclude one city, Sevastopol. EU foreign ministers arrived in Brussels this morning for a meeting at which they’re poised to impose asset freezes and visa bans on people and “entities” involved in Russia’s seizure of Crimea, according to an official from the 28-nation bloc.