Crimea would be welcome as an equal part of Russia if the region votes to leave Ukraine in an upcoming referendum, the speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament said Friday.
Detroit Free Press: Russia, Crimea politicians discuss referendum on region’s status
President Vladimir Putin told reporters during a Tuesday news conference that Russia had no intention of annexing Crimea, while insisting that residents had the right to determine the region's status \u2014 and thus possible independence \u2014 by popular vote.
