European Parliament condemns Russia, rejects Crimean referendum

The European Parliament approved a resolution on March 13 stating it won’t recognize the March 16 Crimean referendum on independence and joining the Russian Federation government, reported the Interfax-Ukrayina news agency. The resolution condemned the Russian government’s military intervention in the Crimean Autonomous Republic, stating that it’s an inseparable part of Ukraine’s territory as previously recognized by the Russian government itself and the international community. The Russian government has violated the Budapest Memorandum that it signed in 1994, which includes ensuring Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The resolution called for removing military units based in Crimea illegally.