This fascinating video lays bare the fluidity of Europe's borders, carved up into smaller and smaller chunks, then merged and broken again over 1,000 years.
The video has gone viral after Crimea's annexation to Russia seems now inevitable after 97% voted to leave Ukraine to join Russia.
Though controversial, the changing of borders in Europe has rarely been more peaceful. The time-lapse video of Europe's maps shows the rise and fall of powers on the continent that no longer exist, from the Holy Roman Empire, to the Ottoman Empire, Bohemia, the Nazi occupation and the Soviet Union.
Crimea Referendum
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-BASE(01 of85)
A pro-Russian protester prepares to throw back a smoke bomb thrown by Ukrainian servicemen as pro-Russian protesters storm a Ukrainian air force base in the small city of Novofedorivka, in the Saki district of western Crimea, on March 22, 2014. About 200 pro-Russian protesters stormed a Ukrainian air force base in western Crimea, forcing the soldiers to leave as the Ukrainian flag was taken down. The unarmed crowd broke through to the base in the town of Novofedorivka and started smashing windows as Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside buildings and threw smoke bombs at the intruders from the roof. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY(02 of85)
Ukrainian pilots and soldiers gather at the air base entrance in Fedorovka, Saki district, Crimea, on March 22, 2014. About 200 pro-Russian protesters on March 22 stormed a Ukrainian air force base in western Ukraine, AFP correspondents saw. The unarmed crowd broke through to the base in the town of Novofedorivka and started smashing windows as Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside buildings and threw smoke bombs at the intruders from the roof. AFP PHOTO/ DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-BASE(03 of85)
Pro-Russian protesters push away a truck blocking the entrance to a Ukrainian air force base as they storm the building in the small city of Novofedorivka, in the Saki district of western Crimea, on March 22, 2014. About 200 pro-Russian protesters stormed a Ukrainian air force base in western Crimea, forcing the soldiers to leave as the Ukrainian flag was taken down. The unarmed crowd broke through to the base in the town of Novofedorivka and started smashing windows as Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside buildings and threw smoke bombs at the intruders from the roof. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY-CRIMEA(04 of85)
Russian soldiers storm a Ukrainian military air base in the small city of Belbek near the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 22, 2014. Armed forces backed by armoured vehicles broke inside a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea on Saturday, firing automatic weapons into the air. AFP PHOTO/ VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY-CRIMEA(05 of85)
Pro Russian protesters and Russian soldiers storm a Ukrainian military air base in the small city of Belbek near the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 22, 2014. Armed forces backed by armoured vehicles broke inside a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea on Saturday, firing automatic weapons into the air. AFP PHOTO/ VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY-CRIMEA(06 of85)
Pro Russian protesters and Russian soldiers storm a Ukrainian military air base in the small city of Belbek near the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 22, 2014. Armed forces backed by armoured vehicles broke inside a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea on Saturday, firing automatic weapons into the air. AFP PHOTO/ VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY-CRIMEA(07 of85)
Russian soldiers storm a Ukrainian military air base in the small city of Belbek near the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 22, 2014. Armed forces backed by armoured vehicles broke inside a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea on Saturday, firing automatic weapons into the air. AFP PHOTO/ VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-BASE(08 of85)
Ukrainian soldiers walk out of a Ukrainian air force base in the small city of Novofedorivka, in the Saki district of western Crimea, after it was stormed by some 200 pro-Russian protesters on March 22, 2014. About 200 pro-Russian protesters stormed a Ukrainian air force base in western Crimea, forcing the soldiers to leave as the Ukrainian flag was taken down. The unarmed crowd broke through to the base in the town of Novofedorivka and started smashing windows as Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside buildings and threw smoke bombs at the intruders from the roof. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-BASE(09 of85)
Ukrainian soldiers walk out of a Ukrainian air force base in the small city of Novofedorivka, in the Saki district of western Crimea, after it was stormed by some 200 pro-Russian protesters on March 22, 2014. About 200 pro-Russian protesters stormed a Ukrainian air force base in western Crimea, forcing the soldiers to leave as the Ukrainian flag was taken down. The unarmed crowd broke through to the base in the town of Novofedorivka and started smashing windows as Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside buildings and threw smoke bombs at the intruders from the roof. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-BASE(10 of85)
Ukrainian soldiers walk out of a Ukrainian air force base in the small city of Novofedorivka, in the Saki district of western Crimea, after it was stormed by some 200 pro-Russian protesters on March 22, 2014. About 200 pro-Russian protesters stormed a Ukrainian air force base in western Crimea, forcing the soldiers to leave as the Ukrainian flag was taken down. The unarmed crowd broke through to the base in the town of Novofedorivka and started smashing windows as Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside buildings and threw smoke bombs at the intruders from the roof. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-NAVY(11 of85)
Russian soldiers and officers walk onboard the Ukrainian Navy ship known as 'Ternopil' in the Sevastopol harbour on March 21, 2014. As the flags go down one by one on Ukraine's fleet in Crimea, Russian forces are laying siege to the few ships left in a strongly pro-Russian community that is hostile to the new government in Kiev. On March 20th in the evening, the Ternopil, a corvette built to repel submarines, was stormed by Russian forces and towed across the bay. AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA(12 of85)
A man waves a Russian flag as people look at fire works in the center of the Crimean city of Simferopol on March 21, 2014. Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously voted on March 21 to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into Russian territory in defiance of the international community's insistence that the peninsula is part of Ukraine. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-BASE(13 of85)
Ukrainian soldiers walk out of a Ukrainian air force base in the small city of Novofedorivka, in the Saki district of western Crimea, as pro-Russian protesters look on after the base was stormed by some 200 pro-Russian protesters on March 22, 2014. About 200 pro-Russian protesters stormed a Ukrainian air force base in western Crimea, forcing the soldiers to leave as the Ukrainian flag was taken down. The unarmed crowd broke through to the base in the town of Novofedorivka and started smashing windows as Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside buildings and threw smoke bombs at the intruders from the roof. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA(14 of85)
A man waves a Russian flag as people look at fire works in the center of the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 21, 2014. Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously voted on March 21 to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into Russian territory in defiance of the international community's insistence that the peninsula is part of Ukraine. AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA(15 of85)
People wave Russian flags and cheer in the center of the Crimean city of Simferopol on March 21, 2014. Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously voted on March 21 to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into Russian territory in defiance of the international community's insistence that the peninsula is part of Ukraine. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-NAVY(16 of85)
A view of the Ukrainian Navy ship known as 'Ternopil' in the Sevastopol harbour on March 21, 2014, after it was taken over by Russian forces. As the flags go down one by one on Ukraine's fleet in Crimea, Russian forces are laying siege to the few ships left in a strongly pro-Russian community that is hostile to the new government in Kiev. On March 20th in the evening, the Ternopil, a corvette built to repel submarines, was stormed by Russian forces and towed across the bay. AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-NAVY(17 of85)
A couple embraces as they look at the Ukrainian Navy ship 'Slavutych' in the Sevastopol harbour on March 21, 2014. As the flags go down one by one on Ukraine's fleet in Crimea, Russian forces are laying siege to the few ships left in a strongly pro-Russian community that is hostile to the new government in Kiev. AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA(18 of85)
A young boy waves a Russian flag as people gather to look at fire works in the center of the Crimean city of Simferopol on March 21, 2014. Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously voted on March 21 to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into Russian territory in defiance of the international community's insistence that the peninsula is part of Ukraine. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA(19 of85)
A man waves a Russian flag as people look at fire works in the center of the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 21, 2014. Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously voted on March 21 to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into Russian territory in defiance of the international community's insistence that the peninsula is part of Ukraine. AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-ARMY(20 of85)
A Ukrainian soldier embraces his daughter at the Belbek air force base not far from the city of Sevastopol, in Crimea, on March 21, 2014. Surly and dejected, many Ukrainian soldiers at the Perevalne base in Crimea deserted their posts today, crossing groups of buoyant Russian soldiers moving in -- but 200 were said to be resisting. Overwhelmed by superior force and on the day Russia formally claimed the Black Sea peninsula as its territory, the biggest base still holding out against a creeping month-long invasion was slowly giving up. AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-ARMY(21 of85)
A Ukrainian soldier pets a dog at the Belbek air force base not far from the city of Sevastopol, in Crimea, on March 21, 2014. Surly and dejected, many Ukrainian soldiers at the Perevalne base in Crimea deserted their posts today, crossing groups of buoyant Russian soldiers moving in -- but 200 were said to be resisting. Overwhelmed by superior force and on the day Russia formally claimed the Black Sea peninsula as its territory, the biggest base still holding out against a creeping month-long invasion was slowly giving up. AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA(22 of85)
A man waves a Russian flag as the word 'Russia' is projected onto a building in the center of the Crimean city of Simferopol on March 21, 2014. Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously voted on March 21 to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into Russian territory in defiance of the international community's insistence that the peninsula is part of Ukraine. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA(23 of85)
A young boy sitting on the shoulders of an elderly man claps as people watch fire works in the center of the Crimean city of Simferopol on March 21, 2014. Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously voted on March 21 to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into Russian territory in defiance of the international community's insistence that the peninsula is part of Ukraine. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA(24 of85)
A young girl sits on the shoulders of a man as they watch fire works in the center of the Crimean city of Simferopol on March 21, 2014. Russia's upper house of parliament unanimously voted on March 21 to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into Russian territory in defiance of the international community's insistence that the peninsula is part of Ukraine. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-CRIMEA-ARMY(25 of85)
Ukrainian pilots carry their belongings as they leave the Belbek air force base not far from the city of Sevastopol, in Crimea, on March 21, 2014. Surly and dejected, many Ukrainian soldiers at the Perevalne base in Crimea deserted their posts today, crossing groups of buoyant Russian soldiers moving in -- but 200 were said to be resisting. Overwhelmed by superior force and on the day Russia formally claimed the Black Sea peninsula as its territory, the biggest base still holding out against a creeping month-long invasion was slowly giving up. AFP PHOTO / VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-KREMLIN(26 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin signs a law on ratification of a treaty making Crimea part of Russia, during a ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2014. Putin said today Moscow would hold off on further reciprocal sanctions against the United States, after Washington introduced punitive measures against his close allies over the Ukraine crisis. AFP PHOTO/ POOL / SERGEI CHIRIKOV (Photo credit should read SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(27 of85)
Russian soldiers and pro-Russian self-defence activists check documents and search cars at the check-point in the Henichesk district, on the road accross the Chongar strait, one of the two roads linking Crimea to Ukraine on March 21, 2014. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said today the Ukrainian crisis can only be resolved through a diplomatic solution that respects the territorial integrity of the splintered ex-Soviet state. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(28 of85)
Russian forces search a van at a checkpoint in Henichesk district, on the road accross the Chongar strait, one of only two roads linking Crimea to Ukraine on March 21, 2014. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said today the Ukrainian crisis can only be resolved through a diplomatic solution that respects the territorial integrity of the splintered ex-Soviet state. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(29 of85)
Russian forces stand guard at a checkpoint in Henichesk district, on the road accross the Chongar strait, one of only two roads linking Crimea to Ukraine on March 21, 2014. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said today the Ukrainian crisis can only be resolved through a diplomatic solution that respects the territorial integrity of the splintered ex-Soviet state. AFP PHOTO / DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY(30 of85)
Ukrainian soldiers guard near a machine-gun at the Belbek air -base not far from the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 21, 2014. Surly and dejected, many Ukrainian soldiers at Perevalne base in Crimea deserted their posts Friday, crossing groups of buoyant Russian soldiers moving in -- but 200 were said to be resisting. Overwhelmed by superior force and on the day Russia formally claimed the Black Sea peninsula as its territory, the biggest base still holding out against a creeping month-long invasion was slowly giving up. AFP PHOTO/ VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-ECONOMY-MONEY(31 of85)
People queue outside a branch of the Russian Sberbank in the Crimean capital Simferopol on March 21, 2014. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said on Friday the Ukrainian crisis can only be resolved through a diplomatic solution that respects the territorial integrity of the splintered ex-Soviet state. Ban arrived in Ukraine a day after holding talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which he expressed his deep concern over the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY SEREBRYAKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-KREMLIN(32 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C) signs a law on ratification of a treaty making Crimea part of Russia, during a ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow March 21, 2014, with Valentina Matviyenko (L), the speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, the Federation Council, and Sergei Naryshkin (R), the speaker of parliament's lower house, the State Duma, attending the ceremony . Putin said today Moscow would hold off on further reciprocal sanctions against the United States, after Washington introduced punitive measures against his close allies over the Ukraine crisis. AFP PHOTO/ POOL / SERGEI CHIRIKOV (Photo credit should read SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-KREMLIN(33 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to sign a law on ratification of a treaty making Crimea part of Russia, in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2014. Putin said today Moscow would hold off on further reciprocal sanctions against the United States, after Washington introduced punitive measures against his close allies over the Ukraine crisis. AFP PHOTO/ POOL / SERGEI CHIRIKOV (Photo credit should read SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-KREMLIN(34 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a ceremony to sign a law on ratification of a treaty making Crimea part of Russia, in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2014. Putin said today Moscow would hold off on further reciprocal sanctions against the United States, after Washington introduced punitive measures against his close allies over the Ukraine crisis. AFP PHOTO/ POOL / SERGEI CHIRIKOV (Photo credit should read SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS(35 of85)
Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate of Ukrainian navy headquaters as Russian troops stand guard in Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY(36 of85)
Russian troops stand guard at the Ukrainian navy headquaters they took in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY(37 of85)
Russian troops stand guard at the Ukrainian navy headquaters they took in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY(38 of85)
Russian troops stand guard at the Ukrainian navy headquaters they took in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS(39 of85)
Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate of Ukrainian navy headquaters as Russian troops stand guard in Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS-MILITARY(40 of85)
Russian troops stand guard at the Ukrainian navy headquaters they took in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS(41 of85)
Pro-Russian protesters and Russian troops stand guard at the Ukrainian navy headquaters after removing its gates in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS(42 of85)
Pro-Russian protesters and Russian troops stand guard at the Ukrainian navy headquaters after removing its gates in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS(43 of85)
Pro-Russian protesters and Russian troops stand guard at Ukrainian navy headquaters in Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS(44 of85)
Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate of Ukrainian navy headquaters as Russian troops stand guard in Crimean city of Sevastopol on March 19, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters seized Ukraine's Crimean naval headquarters and captured its commander on Wednesday after Moscow claimed the peninsula and the first casualties ratcheted up stakes in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/ VASILIY BATANOV (Photo credit should read Vasiliy BATANOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(45 of85)
An Ukrainian soldier stands guard inside the navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(46 of85)
Russian soldiers stand guard near Ukranian soldiers walking inside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(47 of85)
A Russian soldier cleans his shoes outside the navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014.. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(48 of85)
A Russian soldier patrols as Ukranian soldiers talk to friends from the Ukranian navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(49 of85)
An Ukranian soldier patrols inside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(50 of85)
Russian soldiers stand guard as a woman gives food to an Ukranian soldier standing guard inside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(51 of85)
A Russian soldiers cleans his shoes near an Ukranian soldier standing guard inside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(52 of85)
Russian soldiers stand guard as a woman gives food to an Ukranian soldier standing guard inside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(53 of85)
An Ukranian soldiers stands behind the fence as Russian soldiers patrol outside the navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(54 of85)
A woman talks to Russian soldiers patrolling outside the navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18, 2014. Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled on March 19, 2014 that President Vladimir Putin acted legally by signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia, in an essential step in the Russian legal process towards ratifying the treaty. AFP PHOTO/ Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-EU-US-PUTIN(55 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin drinks as he addresses a joint session of Russian parliament on Crimea in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 18, 2014. Putin signed today a treaty with the leaders of Crimea on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula becoming part of Russia, state television showed. AFP PHOTO/KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-EU-US-PUTIN(56 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses a joint session of Russian parliament on Crimea in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 18, 2014. Putin signed today a treaty with the leaders of Crimea on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula becoming part of Russia, state television showed. AFP PHOTO/ POOL/ SERGEI ILNITSKY (Photo credit should read SERGEI ILNITSKY/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-EU-US-PUTIN(57 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin looks on as he addresses a joint session of Russian parliament on Crimea in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 18, 2014. Putin signed today a treaty with the leaders of Crimea on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula becoming part of Russia, state television showed. AFP PHOTO/KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-EU-US-PUTIN(58 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses a joint session of Russian parliament on Crimea in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 18, 2014. Putin signed today a treaty with the leaders of Crimea on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula becoming part of Russia, state television showed. AFP PHOTO/KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-EU-US-PUTIN(59 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses a joint session of Russian parliament on Crimea in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 18, 2014. Putin signed today a treaty with the leaders of Crimea on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula becoming part of Russia, state television showed. AFP PHOTO/ POOL/ SERGEI ILNITSKY (Photo credit should read SERGEI ILNITSKY/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-EU-US-PUTIN(60 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses a joint session of Russian parliament on Crimea in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 18, 2014. Putin signed today a treaty with the leaders of Crimea on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula becoming part of Russia, state television showed. AFP PHOTO/ POOL/ SERGEI ILNITSKY (Photo credit should read SERGEI ILNITSKY/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-POLITICS-CRISIS-EU-US-PUTIN(61 of85)
Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrives to address a joint session of Russian parliament on Crimea in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 18, 2014. Putin signed today a treaty with the leaders of Crimea on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula becoming part of Russia, state television showed. AFP PHOTO/ POOL/ SERGEI ILNITSKY (Photo credit should read SERGEI ILNITSKY/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
CORRECTION-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS(62 of85)
A man holds a Russian flag as he secures the Crimean parliament building in central Simferopol on March 17, 2014. Crimea declared independence today and applied to join Russia while the Kremlin braced for sanctions after the flashpoint peninsula voted to leave Ukraine in a ballot that has fanned the worst East-West tensions since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF CAPTION CORRECTION CORRECTING FLAG (Photo credit should read DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
US-POLITICS-UKRAINE-OBAMA(63 of85)
US President Barack Obama speaks about the situation in the Crimea region of Ukraine during a statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, March 17, 2014. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
US-POLITICS-UKRAINE-OBAMA(64 of85)
US President Barack Obama leaves after speaking about the situation in the Crimea region of Ukraine during a statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, March 17, 2014. The United States and Europe targeted Vladimir Putin's inner circle on Monday, slapping sanctions on senior officials to pressure the Kremlin to abandon moves to annex Crimea. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
US-POLITICS-UKRAINE-OBAMA(65 of85)
US President Barack Obama speaks about the situation in the Crimea region of Ukraine during a statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, March 17, 2014. The United States and Europe targeted Vladimir Putin's inner circle on Monday, slapping sanctions on senior officials to pressure the Kremlin to abandon moves to annex Crimea. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
US-POLITICS-UKRAINE-OBAMA(66 of85)
US President Barack Obama speaks about the situation in the Crimea region of Ukraine during a statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, March 17, 2014. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-UNREST-RUSSIA(67 of85)
Russian armoured vehicles drive on the road between Simferopol and Sevastopol on March 17, 2014. Ukraine's foreign minister denounced Russian 'provocations' on March 17, 2014, warning of a troop build-up on the border and the presence of 'political tourists' in its eastern regions. 'We are very much concerned by the number of Russian troops on the (border),' Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya said after talks with NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen. AFP PHOTO/ VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-UNREST-RUSSIA(68 of85)
A Russian armoured vehicle drives on the road between Simferopol and Sevastopol on March 17, 2014. Ukraine's foreign minister denounced Russian 'provocations' on March 17, 2014, warning of a troop build-up on the border and the presence of 'political tourists' in its eastern regions. 'We are very much concerned by the number of Russian troops on the (border),' Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya said after talks with NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen. AFP PHOTO/ VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-UNREST-RUSSIA(69 of85)
Russian armoured vehicles drive on the road between Simferopol and Sevastopol on March 17, 2014. Ukraine's foreign minister denounced Russian 'provocations' on March 17, 2014, warning of a troop build-up on the border and the presence of 'political tourists' in its eastern regions. 'We are very much concerned by the number of Russian troops on the (border),' Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya said after talks with NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen. AFP PHOTO/ VIKTOR DRACHEV (Photo credit should read VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Recognised As Sovereign State By Putin(70 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 18: Stall holders and members of the public gather round a laptop to watch an address by Russia's President Vladimir Putin on a market stall on March 18, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Speaking at the Kremlin President Putin told a special session of Russia's parliament that Crimea had 'always been part of Russia', and recognised Crimea as a sovereign state. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Recognised As Sovereign State By Putin(71 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 18: Russian President Vladimir Putin is viewed on a television screen in a cafe on March 18, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Putin celebrated this weekend's referendum in Crimea, saying that 96% who voted chose to join Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(72 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(73 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(74 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(75 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(76 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: Election staff begin the count at a polling station after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Bachchisaray, Ukraine. Crimeans go to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing to push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favour Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(77 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(78 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(79 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-UNREST-POLITICS-CRIMEA(80 of85)
Pro-Russian supporters gather in Simferopol's Lenin Square on March 16, 2014 after exit polls showed that about 93 percent of voters in Ukraine's Crimea region supported union with Russia. Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to join former political master Russia as tensions soared in the east of the splintered ex-Soviet nation amid the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. AFP PHOTO/Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(81 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(82 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: People in Lenin Square attend a pro Russian rally after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine. Crimean's went to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing toÊ push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favor Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
UKRAINE-RUSSIA-POLITICS-CRISIS(83 of85)
Pro-Russian demonstrators hold Russian flags, as they gather in Simferopol's Lenin Square on March 16, 2014. Crimeans voted overwhelmingly on March 16 in favour of joining former political master Russia as tensions soared in the east of the splintered ex-Soviet nation amid the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War. Exit polls cited by local officials showed 93 percent of the voters in favour of leaving Ukraine and joining Russia in the most serious redrawing of the map of Europe since Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(84 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: Election staff begin the count at a polling station after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Bachchisaray, Ukraine. Crimeans go to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing to push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favour Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Crimea Goes To The Polls In Crucial Referendum(85 of85)
SIMFEROPOL, UKRAINE - MARCH 16: Election staff begin the count at a polling station after a day of voting on March 16, 2014 in Bachchisaray, Ukraine. Crimeans go to the polls today in a vote that which will decide whether the peninsular will break away from mainland Ukraine. The referendum, which has been dismissed as illegal by the West, follows the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist protesters. As the standoff between the Russian military and Ukrainian forces continues in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, world leaders are continuing to push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating situation though many believe that there is every likelihood that thy vote will favour Crimea being incorporated into Russia. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
And the borders are still in flux. Crimea's border with Russia will almost certainly be non-existent within weeks. Should Alex Salmond get his way, or Catalan separatists, a thin black line will appear across the north of the UK, the north east of Spain. In the context of 1,000 years of history, it will be a barely noticeable shift.
But what worries Western powers is the precedent set by Crimea's annexation to Russia, that it could be a sign that Russia is looking to expand its power in regions with Russian speakers, starting with eastern Ukraine, but perhaps even further to other countries with ethnic Russian populations.
The referendum vote in Crimea was the "first step" in an eventual takeover of eastern Ukraine by Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliev said on Sunday.
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"Maybe in Crimea, 82% want to join to Russia. I think that in the east of Ukraine approximately 70%, 75% want to join to Russia," Termigaliev told NBC News.
"This is the first step and I really think other regions will follow. I think the second step will be with east Ukraine."
If he is proven correct, that could begin a whole different colour scheme begins to spread on the time-lapse map of Europe for the next 100 years.
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(01 of20)
Vladimir Putin locks a collar with a satellite tracker on the tranquilized five-year-old Ussuri tiger in a Russian Academy of Sciences reserve in Russia's Far East as he took a part in the national program for preserving the population of the Ussuri tiger conducted by researchers of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Animal-loving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been accused of staging his famous encounter with a tigress three years ago. St. Petersburg-based environmentalists Dmitry Molodtsov says that photos of the animal that Putin tagged with a GPS collar in 2008 and subsequent images of what preservationists claimed was the same tigress in fact showed two different animals, indicating that Putin's tigress never was let out into the wild. Molodtsov claimed Friday that Putin's tigress was borrowed from a local zoo for the occasion. A coordinator at the government-funded Amur tiger conservation project dismissed his claim as untrue.(AP Photo / RIA-Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Pool) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(02 of20)
FILES - Picture taken 13 August 2007 shows Russian President Vladimir Putin fishing in the headwaters of the Yenisei River of the Russian Tuva republic on the border of Mongolia. Time magazine named President Vladimir Putin its 'person of the year' 19 December 2007 in recognition of the Russian leader's role in making Moscow 'a critical linchpin of the 21st century. The award, which is not considered an honor so much as a recognition of the most powerful forces shaping the world, was awarded for Putin's role in reshaping a country that Time's Managing Editor Richard Stengel said had 'fallen off our mental map.' AFP PHOTO / RIA NOVOSTI / KREMLIN POOL / DMITRY ASTAKHOV (Photo credit should read DMITRY ASTAKHOV/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(03 of20)
Then President Vladimir Putin, wearing a blue helmet and an oxygen mask, sits in Su-27 fighter jet after his flight into the war zone in Chechnya, in Grozny, Russia. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/ITAR-TASS, Presidential Press Service, file) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(04 of20)
Dec. 18, 2009 file photo, then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, top, is seen during judo training at a sports school in St. Petersburg, Russia. Vladimir Putin turns 60-years old on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, and has recently sought to demonstrate his youthful vigor by many personal endeavors, but while he has shown creativity in his action-man stunts, the Russian president seems surprisingly vulnerable to the vagaries of oil prices. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Government Press Service, file) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(05 of20)
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seen riding a horse while traveling in the mountains of the Siberian Tyva region (also referred to as Tuva), Russia, during his short vacation. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, POOL, File) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(06 of20)
In this Sept. 5, 2012 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin waits in a motorized hang glider next to a Siberian white crane, on the Yamal Peninsula, in Russia. Putin took part in a flight as part of a program devised by environmentalists to lead the endangered cranes, which were raised in captivity, on their migration to Asia. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Presidential Press Service, File) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(07 of20)
Russian President Vladimir Putin touches an octopus as he visits an oceanarium on the Russky Island in Vladivostok at the APEC summit, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(08 of20)
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a friendly ice hockey match with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, not seen, in Igora resort near in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, June 22, 2012. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(09 of20)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, congratulates heavyweight martial arts fighter Fedor Emelianenko on his victory over Brazilian Pedro Rizzo at the M-1 Global mixed martial arts tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia. Fedor Emelianenko announced his retirement after knocking out Brazilian Pedro Rizzo. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(10 of20)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, ski in the mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana near the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia, Thursday, March 8, 2012. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(11 of20)
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, shows a hold to a young judo wrestler in a regional judo center at the Arena sports complex in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, about 3000 kilometers (1,850 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, during his visit to the region. Putin is known for his passion for judo, in which he has a black belt. (AP Photo/Pool) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(12 of20)
then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin carries a hunting rifle during his trip in Ubsunur Hollow in the Siberian Tyva region (also referred to as Tuva), on the border with Mongolia, Russia. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, POOL, file) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(13 of20)
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin carries two pieces of archaeological trophies he discovered during diving near an archeological excavation of an ancient Greek port on the Taman Peninsula, about 1150 kilometers (720 miles) south of Moscow, Russia. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, pool, file) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(14 of20)
then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rides a horse in the foothills of Karatash, near Abakan, the capital of the Khakassia region in Siberia. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Government Press Service, file) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(15 of20)
then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, fixes a radio beacon on a neck of a polar bear, which was anaesthetized, during a visit to a research institute at the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Government Press Service, file) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(16 of20)
then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, center left, and leader of Nochniye Volki (the Night Wolves) biker group, Alexander Zaldostanov, also known as Khirurg (the Surgeon), right, ride bikes at a motor bikers' festival in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Russia. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, POOL, file) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(17 of20)
then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rides a horse during his trip in Ubsunur Hollow in the Siberian Tyva region (also referred to as Tuva), on the border with Mongolia, Russia. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, POOL) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(18 of20)
then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holds a tranquilizer gun in a Russian Academy of Sciences reserve in Russia's Far East. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, POOL, file) (credit:AP)
Is Vladimir Putin the ultimate man?(19 of20)
FILE - In this March 20, 2000 file photo, President Vladimir Putin, wearing a blue helmet and an oxygen mask, sits in Su-27 fighter jet after his flight into the war zone in Chechnya, in Grozny, Russia. Putin has become alternately notorious and beloved for an array of adventurous stunts, including posing with a tiger cub and riding a horse bare-chested. (AP Photo/ITAR-TASS, Presidential Press Service, file) (credit:AP)
Vladimir Putin(20 of20)
File - In this file photo taken on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin locks a collar with a satellite tracker on the tranquilized five-year-old Ussuri tiger in a Russian Academy of Sciences reserve in Russia's Far East as he took a part in the national program for preserving the population of the Ussuri tiger conducted by researchers of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Animal-loving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been accused of staging his famous encounter with a tigress three years ago. St. Petersburg-based environmentalists Dmitry Molodtsov says that photos of the animal that Putin tagged with a GPS collar in 2008 and subsequent images of what preservationists claimed was the same tigress in fact showed two different animals, indicating that Putin's tigress never was let out into the wild. Molodtsov claimed Friday that Putin's tigress was borrowed from a local zoo for the occasion. A coordinator at the government-funded Amur tiger conservation project dismissed his claim as untrue.(AP Photo / RIA-Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Pool) (credit:AP)