The referendum to decide whether Crimea will join Russia will be held on March 16th, but around much of Crimea preparations to join the large neighbour to the east are already under way. Russian flags hang from government-administration buildings in the regional capital, Simferopol; municipal billboards urge residents to go to the polls with the slogan "Together with Russia". The vote now seems a mere formality: on top of a fairly high level of support for Russia before the crisis, an unceasing propaganda campaign and a military occupation mean that Moscow should have little problem getting the result it wants.
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