Crimea Latest: Russian parliament ratified treaty to make Crimea part of Russian Federation

Russia's lower parliament ratified a treaty to make Crimea a part of the Russian Federation on Thursday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had presented the treaty on annexing Crimea to lawmakers, urging them to accept the region as a part of the Russian Federation.

Speaking "on behalf" of President Vladimir Putin, he told the State Duma folding the Black Sea Peninsula into Russia was needed to protest ethnic Russians there. "I hope this will become a turning point in the fate of many people who are united by many things," Lavrov said.

Russian Federation Council authorised Putin to use armed forces in Ukraine's Crimea

Russia's parliament has approved the use of armed forces in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. Western leaders expressed concern with the move, which President Vladimir Putin said was to protect ethnic Russians in the region.

Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, unanimously approved the motion on Saturday after Putin had submitted the proposal. 

The chamber announced that the decision would go into effect immediately, and also recommended that Russia's ambassador to the United States be recalled over comments by President Barack Obama.

Putin said the action, which he said he took to protect ethnic Russians and military personnel in the region, was necessary until the political situation in Ukraine stabilized.