Russia will face “further consequences” if Moscow attempts to legitimise any attempt by Crimea to break away from Ukraine, David Cameron and Angela Merkel have warned.
The Prime Minister and the German Chancellor said the proposed referendum in a week’s time on the occupied peninsula is illegal.
The pair discussed the crisis at a dinner on Sunday night during the Prime Minister’s two-day visit to Germany.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "They both agreed that the priority is to de-escalate the situation and to get Russia to engage in a contact group as swiftly as possible.
"They reiterated their view that the proposed referendum in Crimea would be illegal and that any attempt by Russia to legitimise the result would result in further consequences.
"They also agreed that we must keep working to support the Ukraine government, including identifying how the international community can help to stabilise the economic situation."
Vladimir Putin assured Mr Cameron in a phone call on Sunday that Russia wants to find a peaceful resolution to the Crimea crisis, which was sparked when armed troops wearing uniforms with no identifying insignia seized key military and administrative locations in the predominantly Russian-speaking peninsula at the end of last month.
Number 10 said Mr Putin insisted he "did want to find a diplomatic solution" and was ready to consider the setting up of a contact group to facilitate dialogue with the new government established in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, after the ousting of president Viktor Yanukovych.
Moscow, which does not recognise the interim government in Kiev, has so far ignored the threat of American and European sanctions designed to force it to pull back from Crimea.
The Duma - the lower house of the Russian Parliament - has endorsed a decision by Crimea's parliament to become a part of the Russian Federation subject to approval in next weekend's referendum.
A team of international observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has consistently been refused entry to Crimea.
William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, warned Russia could provoke a “real shooting conflict” if it sought to move beyond its positions in Crimea.
SOURCE : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
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