The speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, says Russian lawmakers will support Crimea's decision if the Ukrainian region decides in a referendum to join Russia.

Ukraine’s interim government, meanwhile, has rejected Crimea’s moves to leave Ukraine, with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk saying Friday that “no one in the civilized world” will recognize the results of the region’s referendum.

Ukraine and Russia have been locked in a tense standoff since Russian forces entered the Crimean peninsula a week ago.

On Thursday, the Moscow-backed Crimean parliament voted to become part of Russia, setting a referendum for March 16.

The Ukrainian prime minister told reporters Friday he wants to “warn separatists” and others he described as “traitors of the Ukrainian state” that their decisions are “unlawful” and “unconstitutional.” U.S. and European leaders have also called the referendum illegal.

The Moscow-backed Crimean parliament voted Thursday to join Russia, setting a referendum for March 16. The vote triggered a flurry of political reaction in Kyiv, European capitals and Washington, with U.S. and European leaders calling the referendum illegal.

Ukraine and Russia have been locked in a tense standoff since Russian forces entered Crimea nearly a week ago.

The Ukrainian prime minister said Friday his government is “prepared to rebuild relations with Russia.” But he said Russia must withdraw its troops, fulfill its agreements with Ukraine and stop supporting separatists in Crimea.

Pro-Western Ukrainian opposition icon Yulia Tymoshenko urged Europe Thursday to take strong action to prevent Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula from joining Russia, saying such a move would destabilize the entire continent.

Witnesses and Western analysts say thousands of Russian military personnel have crossed into Crimea since last week. The reports set off a groundswell of Western condemnation against President Putin, and warnings of stiff penalties if Moscow fails to withdraw.

Ukraine’s crisis began when protests erupted in late November after then-President Viktor Yanukovych rejected an economic deal with the EU in favor of closer ties with Russia. What began as peaceful protests quickly turned violent, leading to the deaths of more than 80 protesters and charges that the Yanukovych government ordered snipers to shoot protesters. Yanukovych fled Ukraine last month.

Source: VOA News