Crimeans vote today in a disputed referendum on whether to split from Ukraine

(Image credit: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Crimeans head to the polls Sunday to vote in a referendum on whether the peninsula should break away from Ukraine and join Russia. The United States, its allies, and the interim Ukrainian government have assailed the vote as a Russian stunt with no constitutional legitimacy. The Group of 7 last week said in a statement the referendum was "contrary to Ukrainian law and in violation of international law," adding that it "would have no legal effect."

However, Russia on Saturday vetoed a proposed U.N. resolution that would have preemptively declared the referendum's results invalid. Officials expect Crimea will resoundingly vote to split from Ukraine, delivering a victory to Moscow, which sent troops into the region earlier this month.

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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.

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