Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, has overwhelmingly approved a treaty to annex Crimea from Ukraine, taking the Black Sea peninsula a step closer to joining the Russian Federation.<br /><br /> Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov presented the treaty to representatives and spoke of the sanctions imposed on Russia by the US and EU: “Unilateral sanctions have never done any good. They are illegitimate. The UN Security Council is the only body which can adopt decisions on compulsory measures towards a foreign state.”<br /><br /> The Federation Council or upper house will hold a similar vote on Friday, completing the ratification process of a treaty that was signed by President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.<br /><br /> An integration period of some nine months will follow.<br /><br /> The annexation has caused outrage in Kyiv, Washington and Brussels where the move is considered illegal and unacceptable.
