Russia vetoes UN resolution dismissing validity of Sunday's Crimea referendum

Less than a day after failed talks between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Moscow dug in its stance on Crimea:

The United Nations resolution would dismiss the validity of Sunday's referendum in Crimea, in which the disputed peninsula will vote whether to break from Ukraine; if the vote passes, Russia would effectively regain control of the Crimean region.

While the veto is not a surprise, it further demonstrates Russia's lack of concern over Western nations' threats of sanctions. Putin isn't backing down, and he's making sure the West in general and America specifically knows it.

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