Voting is underway in Crimea’s controversial referendum.<br /><br /> It is widely expected to transfer control of the Black Sea region from Ukraine to Russia, despite an outcry and threat of sanctions from the West.<br /><br /> The vote and pro-Russian troops’ intervention in Crimea <br />have triggered the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. <br /><br /> The referendum has been organised by Crimea’s regional assembly which backs union with Russia. <br /><br /> The electorate are choosing between two options which both imply control from the Kremlin.<br /><br /> Many of the ethnic Russians who form the majority on the peninsula seem likely to back the first choice on the ballot, union with Russia, if only for economic reasons. <br /><br /> A second option is independence, initially within Ukraine but Crimea’s new leaders say they will use this as a basis for accepting Russian rule.
