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Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be dismissing warnings from world leaders
to avoid military intervention in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, even amid growing evidence
that pro-Russian forces were already in control of the region.
The rhetoric escalated Saturday night, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry condemning
what he called "the Russian Federation's invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territory" despite
a statement by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that no decision had been made on
whether Moscow would dispatch forces. Russia has not confirmed it deployed thousands
of troops to the region following reports that armed, Russian-speaking forces wearing
military uniforms -- without insignia -- patrolled key infrastructure sites.
It was the latest in fast-moving developments that saw Russia's Parliament sign off on Putin's
request to send military forces into Ukraine, raising the stakes in the escalating game
of brinksmanship. Putin cited in his request a threat posed
to the lives of Russian citizens and military personnel based in southern Crimea, an autonomous
region of eastern Ukraine where loyalties to Russia are strong. Ukrainian officials
have vehemently denied Putin's claim. CNN crews in and around Crimea's regional capital
of Simferopol, meanwhile, have not seen evidence of a Ukrainian military presence.
Putin's move prompted world diplomats to call for a de-escalation of tensions that have
put the two neighbors on a possible path to war and roiled relations between Russia and
the United States. In what appeared to be an illustration of
the growing schism between the two world powers, U.S. President Barack Obama and Putin spoke
for 90 minutes -- with each expressing their concern over the mounting crisis, according
to separate statements released by their respective governments.
According to the Kremlin, Putin told Obama that Russia reserves the right to defend its
interests in the Crimea region and the Russian-speaking people who live there.
"President Obama made clear that Russia's continued violation of Ukraine's sovereignty
and territorial integrity would negatively impact Russia's standing in the international
community," according to a statement released by the White House.