US won’t recognize Crimea annexation, condemns Russian action
1 min read . Updated: 25 Mar 2014, 05:05 PM IST
PremiumAccuses Putin government of endangering European security
The Hague: The US said it won’t recognize Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Crimea and accused the government of President Vladimir Putin of endangering European security with his military incursion into Ukraine.
In a joint statement with Ukraine at the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, the White House said Russia’s seizure of the Black Sea peninsula violated a 1994 treaty, agreed to by Russia, that underscored Ukraine’s sovereignty and existing borders in return for turning over nuclear weapons on its territory to Russia.
Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine, they said in Tuesday’s joint statement. The US will continue to help Ukraine affirm its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
A day after the world’s top industrial powers met at the nuclear summit to suspend Russia from the Group of Eight, the US and Ukraine said the Kremlin’s actions undermine the foundation of the global security architecture and endanger European peace and security.
The leaders of the Group of Seven said on Monday they won’t attend a planned G-8 meeting that was scheduled to have been held in Sochi, site of the Winter Olympics, and will instead hold their own summit in June in Brussels. Bloomberg
