Three days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty recognizing Crimea as a part of Russia, the nation's Parliament followed by passing a bill officially annexing Crimea from Ukraine.
The final stage of the annexation was completed when Putin signed the bill on Friday, The New York Times reported.
The same day, Ukraine's acting Prime Minister signed a political association agreement with the European Union.
Putin, who has been president for more than 14 years, also announced a temporary cease-fire with the West, the newspaper reported. The U.S., along with the EU, has implemented a series of financial sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the Ukraine. Russia retaliated by ordering travel bans against nine U.S. officials on Thursday.
The annexation has put Ukrainian forces in the peninsula at unease with Russian forces, which have been stationed in Crimea ever since former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych was ousted in February. The EU deal Ukraine signed on Friday is the same one Yanukovych, urged by Russia, refused to sign, which caused widespread protests that led to his ousting, the New York Times reported.
Russian forces began taking over Crimean military installations before the annexation, causing the Ukraine government to pullback 25,000 of its troops from the area.
Putin has repeatedly scoffed at the West's denouncement of Crimea's secession from Ukraine, which the majority of Crimeans supported in a referendum held last Sunday.
"In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an inseparable part of Russia," Putin said Tuesday when he signed the treaty with Crimea, Reuters reported. Crimea was a part of Russia before it became a part of Ukraine six decades ago.
The West views Putin's actions as against Ukraine's sovereignty. Putin said Russia's presence in Crimea was needed to protect ethnic Russians from being attacked.
But according to Hillary Clinton, Putin's actions are similar to "what Hitler did back in the '30s."
