White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Sunday rejected Crimea’s referendum to become part of Russia.
“This referendum is contrary to Ukraine’s constitution, and the international community will not recognize the results of a poll administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law,” he said in a statement. “No decisions should be made about the future of Ukraine without the Ukrainian government. Moreover, this vote was not necessary.”
Carney reiterated the administration’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Crimea.
“Russia’s actions are dangerous and destabilizing. The UN Security Council recognized this in a vote yesterday that only Russia opposed,” he said. “In this century, we are long past the days when the international community will stand quietly by while one country forcibly seizes the territory of another.”
