Russia would accept Crimea as an equal part if the region votes to abandon Ukraine, Russia's parliament said on Friday.
Crimea's parliament, which operates autonomously from the Ukrainian government, voted to hold an early referendum on March 16, and leaving Ukraine to join Russia will be on the table. If it passes, Crimea, which belongs to Ukraine but is largely made up of Russian-language speakers, would be the first territory to join Russia since the Soviet Union broke up in 1991.
"If the decision is made (by referendum), then (Crimea) will become an absolutely equal subject of the Russian Federation," said Valentina Matvienko, speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament.
See also: 9 Essential Questions About Ukraine, Answered
While Kiev was largely the site of Ukraine's months-long protests, the southern Crimea region quickly became the epicenter of geopolitical tension after ousted president, Viktor Yanukovich, fled the country seeking protection in Russia. Soldiers donning unmarked uniforms — who are believed to be working for the Russian government — descended upon the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, still denies the troops are Russian, referring to them instead as "self-defense forces."
Despite pressure from the West — world leaders pulled out of the G-8 summit on Sunday, and the U.S. on Thursday imposed sanctions against Russia — the masked soldiers remain in Crimea, heavily armed and seemingly ready to fight.
President Barack Obama and Putin had an hour-long phone call on Thursday, in which the U.S. president reiterated that Russia's actions were in violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, and there is a diplomatic way to solve the crisis.
However, the account of both sides of that phone conversation has spiraled into a battle of he-said, he-said. Putin seems to have a different story about how that phone call played out. The Russian president said on Friday that he emphasized to Obama that Russia believes Ukraine's newly formed government is illegitimate.
Meanwhile, violence in Crimea is escalating.
Earlier this week, around 50 men attacked a group of peaceful protesters, largely made up of women. On Friday, newly released CCTV footage shows a small group of masked soldiers beating a photographer.

Ukraine's interim prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, says he's ready for peace talks with Russia. But first, he says, Russia must relinquish its stronghold on Crimea and withdraw its troops from the region.
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