Crimea Declares Independence, Seizes Ukraine Property and Disbands Ukraine Military

Crimea’s parliament declared the peninsula an independent nation and asked Moscow to join the Russian Federation after 90% of the population voted to leave on Ukraine on Sunday.

At the extraordinary plenary meeting of the Supreme Council of ARC on 17 March 2014 adopted the decree “About the representative body of the Republic of Crimea”. Voted 85 deputies.

The document reads that “in connection with the secession of Ukraine and the proclamation of the Republic of Crimea as an independent state” Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea decides:

To name a representative body of the Republic of Crimea as the State Council of the Republic of Crimea – the Parliament of the Republic of Crimea and from the day of proclamation of independence of the Republic of Crimea.

After the referendum passed, Crimea Prime Minister Sergei Aksenov tweeted out that members of parliament will travel to Moscow on Monday and the peninsula will adopt Moscow’s ruble into their currency. Russia President Vladimir Putin said he will address parliament at 3PM local time on Tuesday.

TT @sergyaksenov: Tomorrow, the Crimean parliament delegation will fly to Russia.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 16, 2014

Wasting no time. TT @sergyaksenov: Supreme Council of Crimea at a meeting on March 17 will issue formal request to join Russian Federation!

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 16, 2014

TT @sergyaksenov: In April we move to the ruble payment system. https://t.co/oKqHYjSpAe #Crimea

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 16, 2014

Parliament announced they would nationalize all Ukraine property and asked the United Nations to recognize them as an independent nation. The UN Security Council met on Sunday to pass a resolution that condemned the referendum, but Russia vetoed it.

Crimean Supreme Council Chairman Volodymyr Konstantynov told parliament Crimea will disband Ukrainian military bases, but the soldiers will remain as residents.

“We shall certainly nationalize everything that is here. The units will be disbanded. Those who will want to live here – you are welcome. Those who want to take an oath – these matters too will be considered. There will be a normal process of reorganization,” Konstantynov told reporters on March 17.

Asked about the fate of the Ukrainian army servicemen, he said: “They have an opportunity to get into a normal, serious army and receive good and worthy pay and serve our country.”