Simferopol, Crimea (CNN) -- Money, time zones, flags, water, ships: just a few of the issues to deal with when you divorce one country and prepare to join another. The pro-Russian leadership of Crimea is now issuing declarations on an almost hourly basis about the practical consequences of joining the Russian Federation, even as much of the rest of the world says the whole process is illegal. Their biggest headache is geographical: Crimea has no land border with Russia. The closest link is a windswept ferry crossing in the far north-eastern corner of Crimea that connects Kerch with the Russian mainland. The town's mayor told CNN last week that a bridge will be built across the 4.5-kilometer wide Strait of Kerch to mother Russia, as promised by Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, but that's a multi-year project.There are issues when you divorce one country and join another, writes CNN's Tim ListerThe biggest headache is geographical: Crimea has no land border with RussiaThere are still thousands of Ukrainian troops based in Crimea -- seen as their homeCurrently ATMs in Crimea still dispense hryvnia, the Ukrainian currency
For now there is a stand-off, with the Ukrainians saying that -- for several days at least -- an agreement has been reached that allows supplies to reach the troops still holed up in bases and surrounded by _ troops. The new Crimean government says it intends to take over _ naval vessels currently in Crimean waters. Analysts say _ may have to pump from $1 to $3 billion each year into the Crimean government's budget if pensions and other benefits are to be raised to Russian levels - at a time when several other Russian regions are close to insolvent. Analysts say Russia may have to pump from $1 to $3 billion each year into the _ government's budget if pensions and other benefits are to be raised to Russian levels - at a time when several other Russian regions are close to insolvent. Analysts say Russia may have to pump from $1 to $3 billion each year into the Crimean government's budget if pensions and other benefits are to be raised to _ levels - at a time when several other Russian regions are close to insolvent. Analysts say Russia may have to pump from $1 to $3 billion each year into the Crimean government's budget if pensions and other benefits are to be raised to Russian levels - at a time when several other _ regions are close to insolvent. Now the _ and Crimean flags flutter side-by-side: both red, white and blue, but slightly different.