Russian President Vladimir Putin is addressing the Russian parliament this morning about Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine. After opening up to a "standing ovation," Putin discussed the importance of the peninsula soon joining the Russian federation.
"Crimea is a unique melting pot of traditions and culture and that's why it looks like Russia," said Putin, adding that Crimea was always an "inseparable part of Russia."
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We all used to belong to the same country: The Soviet Union. ... The Soviet Union has collapsed. The events happened in such a fast way that many of the countries didn't realize ... When Crimea ended up in a different state, Russia realized that not only Russia was robbed, but Russia was robbed in broad daylight.
Watch the rest of the live speech at the BBC.