Russia slams UN resolution on Crimea secession

Russia says the West used political blackmail and threats to gather support for a UN resolution that condemns Moscow for its “annexation” of Crimea.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the UN resolution declaring Crimea’s referendum illegal was counterproductive.

The Russian ministry also accused Western countries of using “the full force of the unspent potential of the Cold War-era propaganda machine” to garner support for the resolution.

Furthermore, the ministry added that the non-binding resolution only complicates efforts aimed at resolving the political crisis in Ukraine.

The resolution drafted by Ukraine’s interim government was passed on Thursday with 100 votes in favor of the resolution.

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said the UN vote was a “moral victory” for Russian diplomacy, adding that “almost half” of the UN members refused to support the resolution.

Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, in which 96.8 percent of the participants voted for rejoining Russia, with a turnout of 83.1 percent.

On March 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law documents that officially made the Black Sea peninsula part of the Russian territory despite condemnation from the West and the new Ukrainian government.

The move sparked angry reactions from the United States and the European Union, both imposing punitive measures against a number of Russian officials and authorities in Crimea.

Ukrainian lawmakers have announced that they will never recognize the reunification of Crimea with Russia, vowing to fight for the liberation of the region as long as it takes.