The European Union will not recognise the outcome of Crimea’s referendum, top EU officials said on Sunday, calling the vote illegal and indicating that the bloc will respond.
“The EU has a special responsibility for peace, stability and prosperity on the European continent and will continue pursuing these objectives using all available channels,” EU President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said. As part of efforts to get Russia to withdraw its troops from Crimea, EU Foreign Ministers on Monday “will evaluate the situation ... and decide on additional measures,” the pair said in a statement. “The solution to the crisis must be based on the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” they added.
