Ban 'Deeply Disappointed' over Ukraine Unity, China Urges Restraint
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday he was "deeply disappointed and concerned" about the impact of Sunday's vote in Crimea to break away from Ukraine.
"The secretary general once again urges all parties to refrain from violence and to commit themselves to de-escalation and inclusive national dialogue in the pursuit of a political and diplomatic solution," his spokesman said.
"A deterioration of the situation will have serious repercussions for the people of Ukraine, the region and beyond," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
On Sunday, residents of Crimea voted overwhelmingly in favor of seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia, in a Moscow-backed referendum denounced by the West as illegitimate.
Ban "is deeply disappointed and concerned that the Crimea referendum will only exacerbate this situation," Dujarric said.
Earlier Monday, Washington announced targeted sanctions against senior Russian officials, Crimean "separatist" leaders and Ukraine's ousted former president Viktor Yanukovcych.
Meanwhile, China said Monday it respected "all countries' independent sovereignty and territorial integrity", in an ambiguous statement after Ukraine's Crimea region voted to join its ally Russia.
The crisis in Ukraine has trapped Beijing in a foreign policy corner of wanting to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Moscow yet shuddering at domestic political tumult backed by foreign powers.
Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and applied to join Russia Monday after an overwhelming 96.6 percent of referendum voters cast their support on Sunday for secession.
"China always respects all countries' independent sovereignty and territorial integrity," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press briefing, without specifying whose sovereignty he was referring to.
"The Crimea issue should be politically resolved within the framework of law and order," he added.
Hong urged all sides to exercise restraint and for outside actors to work to de-escalate tensions, echoing statements from another foreign ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, on Sunday.
Crimea's move to join Russia came weeks after protesters in Ukraine carried out their own political overhaul, forcing the president to flee after protracted demonstrations that ultimately turned violent.
The interim Ukrainian government is supported by Western countries but rejected by Russia, while the Crimean referendum was denounced by the West and celebrated by Russia.
China meanwhile has sought to juggle both its ties with Russia and its longtime denouncing of intervention in other countries' domestic affairs, particularly popular uprisings, which it fears could occur at some point in its own territory.
China abstained from a U.N. vote on Saturday to condemn Crimea's referendum, with its ambassador to the international body saying such a move would "only result in confrontation and further complicate the situation".
Beijing also abstained when the Security Council ruled on a similar international crisis between Russia and Georgia in 2008.
Later, Turkey said on Monday that it does not recognize the result of the referendum in Crimea, amid fears for the future of Turkish-speaking Tatars in the region.
"This referendum is not recognized, and has no legitimacy," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference in Ankara, standing alongside Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Kirimoglu.
Many Tatars are thought to oppose annexation to Russia, fearing their rights as a minority will be eroded.
"We did not and will not accept the referendum," Kirimoglu said. "The future of Crimean Tatars rests with the state of Ukraine."
Davutoglu said the referendum "violates Ukraine's territorial integrity".
"I hope this referendum, which is unacceptable, will not lead to new tensions," he said, calling on all concerned parties to act with "common sense" and avoid "military maneuvers".
Turkey, a NATO ally, says that 12 percent of Crimea's population are Turkish-speaking Tatars who are Sunni Muslims, like the majority of Turks.
Crimea was part of the Ottoman Empire until it was conquered by Russia in the late 18th century. Tatars -- the majority population at the time -- were accused of collaborating with the Nazis and millions were forcibly removed by Stalin in the 1940s.
Davutoglu became one of the first foreign ministers to visit Kiev earlier this month, where he met with Ukrainian officials and representatives of the Tatar community.
Source: Agence France Presse
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