Moscow: President Vladimir Putin told US President Barack Obama on Sunday the referendum on Crimea joining Russia was fully legal, but the two leaders also agreed to work together to find ways out of the Ukraine crisis, the Kremlin said. (Crimea votes to secede from Ukraine as Russian troops keep watch)
The telephone conversation between Putin and Obama, which the Kremlin said were held at the initiative of the American side, came amid soaring US-Russia tensions as initial results showed Crimea had voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia.
It added that the referendum took into account "the well-known precedent of Kosovo" which has been recognised by more than 100 countries, including the United States and all but five EU members since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008.
Putin also told the US president that any Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission should cover "all Ukrainian regions" and not just Crimea.
The Russian leader, who has not recognised the new pro-West authorities in Kiev after the fall of president Viktor Yanukovych last month, told Obama that Moscow was unhappy with the Ukrainian government's failure to crack down on "ultra-nationalist and radical groups".
The telephone conversation between Putin and Obama, which the Kremlin said were held at the initiative of the American side, came amid soaring US-Russia tensions as initial results showed Crimea had voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia.
It added that the referendum took into account "the well-known precedent of Kosovo" which has been recognised by more than 100 countries, including the United States and all but five EU members since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008.
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Putin also told the US president that any Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission should cover "all Ukrainian regions" and not just Crimea.
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The Russian leader, who has not recognised the new pro-West authorities in Kiev after the fall of president Viktor Yanukovych last month, told Obama that Moscow was unhappy with the Ukrainian government's failure to crack down on "ultra-nationalist and radical groups".
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