"No provocations have been reported. The situation is quiet and under control," notes Crimea's Prime Minister Sergei Aksynov (despite plenty of chatter of pro-Ukraine buildings being attacked by pro-Russian supporters in Donetsk and Kharkiv). However, what is perhaps more important is that Interfax reports [3], voter turnout at Sunday's referendum on Crimea' future status had reached 73% by 6 p.m. (8 p.m. Moscow time), according to a posting on the referendum's website. That is higher than every US presidential election since 1900. European leaders remain dissatisfied with this "illegal and illegitimate" vote, demand Russian forces drop back to pre-crisis levels, and are preparing new EU sanctions for Monday.
*CRIMEAN REFERENDUM TURNOUT AT 73% AT 6PM IN UKRAINE: MALYSHEV
*SEVASTOPOL REFERENDUM TURNOUT AT 84%, MALYSHEV SAYS
[4]
But European leaders are not for the democracy...
- *EU SAYS IT WON'T RECOGNISE OUTCOME OF CRIMEAN REFERENDUM
- *EU REITERATES CRIMEAN REFERENDUM IS ILLEGAL, ILLEGITIMATE
- *EU CALLS ON RUSSIA TO WITHDRAW FORCES TO PRE-CRISIS NUMBERS
- *EU FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTERS TO EVALUATE SITUATION TOMORROW
- *EU TO DECIDE ON ADDITIONAL MEASURES AGAINST RUSSIA TOMORROW
So Barroso and Van Rompuy are not amused - we wonder what Frau Merkel thinks...