"They tell us that we are violating the norms of international law. First of all, it's good that they at least remember that international law exists," Putin said...

In a gilded Kremlin hall used by czars, Vladimir Putin redrew Russia's borders Tuesday by declaring the Crimean Peninsula part of the motherland - provoking a surge of emotion among Russians who lament the loss of empire and denunciations from Western leaders who called Putin a threat to the world.

In an ominous sign, a Ukrainian serviceman and a member of a local self-defense brigade were killed by gunfire in Crimea just hours after Putin's speech, the first fatalities stemming from the Russian takeover.

While Putin's action was hailed by jubilant crowds in Moscow and cities across Russia, Ukraine's new government called the Russian president a threat to the "civilized world and international security," and the U.S. and Europe threatened tougher sanctions against Moscow.

Vice President Joe Biden, meeting with anxious European leaders in Poland, denounced what he called "nothing more than a land grab."

 "The world has seen through Russia's actions and has rejected the flawed logic," Biden said. Full story...

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