U.S. And EU On The Wrong Side Of Democracy

If 95% of the voters in Crimea want to separate from Ukraine who's democratically elected government was overthrown by force why would any country in the so-called "free" world oppose it?

Then the question that begs to be answered by people of sound mind is, why is Russia being punished for actions taken by Crimea? Crimean's are entitled to determine their own fate and if 95% of them want to annex themselves to Russia it's their democratic right to do so.

The hypocrisy in the EU's and US position is nauseating; judgments coming from those who have colonized and annexed (or just plain occupied) other countries throughout their history.

The Ukraine and Crimea crisis began with the violent overthrow of the elected government by forces that are now recognized as legitimate by the EU and US. What followed is the Russian response to what it believes to be a threat to it's territorial and geopolitical integrity.

As in Egypt, the US has decided to support military coups and violent insurrections at the expense of  the democratic process while at the same time progressing to champion freedom and democracy.

As for Crimea? The people have spoken.

Ukraine 'will never accept' Crimea annexation (read more here) 

Western powers slapped sanctions on more than two dozen Russian officials and their allies in Ukraine's Crimea region Monday, while Ukrainian officials vowed they would never accept the territory's annexation by Russia.

In a televised address Monday night, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov said his government would do "everything possible" to solve the crisis diplomatically, and he praised his citizens for refusing to respond to Russian provocations with violence.

"The Kremlin is afraid of the democratic future which we are building, and this is the reason for their aggression," Turchynov said. "But this will not be an obstacle to the building of a democratic country."

But he announced a partial mobilization of his country's armed forces and said Ukrainians "have to unite in one big family, which is ready to protect its home." And Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told CNN that there was "a strong possibility" of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I still believe that there is only one solution of this crisis, a peaceful one," Yatsenyuk said. "But we offer peace, and Russia offers war."

The Russian-backed breakaway government in Crimea applied to join with Moscow on Monday after a weekend referendum that Ukraine, the United States and the European Union called illegal. U.S. and EU officials announced sanctions on more than two dozen Russian officials and their allies in the region, which Russian-backed forces seized three weeks ago.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that recognizes the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Crimea, says a statement on Russia's Kremlin website. The Russian parliament is expected to vote on whether to annex the breakaway territory in the coming days.

Obama Says U.S. And EU Will 'Stand Firm' With Ukraine