SIMFERPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Lawmakers in the embattled Crimean region of Ukraine have decided to hold a referendum March 16 on whether Crimea should become part of Russia.

“This is our response to the disorder and lawlessness in Kiev,” Sergei Shuvainikov, a member of the local Crimean legislature, said Thursday. “We will decide our future ourselves.”

Recommended Stories

Ukraine accuses Russia of military buildup

After Crimea, wary Eastern Europe asks: who’s next

Russia’s deep Crimea crisis will only get worse