UN General Assembly adopts resolution on problem of militarization of Crimea

The document was supported by 63 countries. Only 17 countries, including Russia, voted against the resolution, Ukrinform reports.

In particular, the resolution states that the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation undermines the international security architecture and control over weapons, including those capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The document condemns the construction of Russian military bases in Crimea. In addition, the resolution calls on Russia to stop military training of children living on the Crimean peninsula with a view to conscripting them into the Russian armed forces.

In this regard, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba issued an official statement in which he called the adoption of the resolution "a new element of growing legal pressure on Russia."

"The adopted resolution indicates that the militarization of Crimea by the Russian Federation as the occupying power remains in the spotlight of the international community. The transformation of Crimea into a huge military base is considered as a direct threat to security and stability in the region," he said.

According to him, the document confirms that the occupation of Crimea is a violation of international law, thus the occupied territories must be immediately returned back to Ukraine.

The minister also noted that the resolution calls for international cooperation aimed at the de-occupation of Crimea.

"Ukraine has now in its legal arsenal a new strong argument to advance the de-occupation of Crimea," the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stressed.

As reported, on February 20, 2014, Russia launched the armed aggression against Ukraine, capturing part of its territory - the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.  

On March 16, 2014, Russia held a so-called referendum on the status of Crimea on the occupied peninsula, and two days later, on March 18, 2014, the Kremlin signed the so-called Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Crimea to the Russian Federation.

Most UN member states and other international organizations declared the rigged Crimean referendum illegitimate.

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