President Vladimir Putin

Putin: In an emotional 40-minute speech that was televised live from the Kremlin, Putin said "in people's hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia." , according to CBC. At the same time, the Russian leader said his nation didn't want to move into other regions of Ukraine, saying "we don't want division of Ukraine." With a historic sweep of his pen, President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty Tuesday to annex Crimea, eliciting strong condemnations from Western leaders and officials. He dismissed Western criticism of Sunday's Crimean referendum in which residents of the strategic Black Sea peninsula overwhelmingly backed breaking off from Ukraine and joining Russia as a manifestation of the West's double standards. Follow the latest updates from Ukraine Russian, Ukrainian officials face more sanctions from Canada Ukraine key facts, latest developments (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.