NEW YORK
Russia's annexation of Crimea challenged the fundamental norms enshrined in the UN Charter, a senior European Union official said Monday.
"This cannot be left without answer: the EU condemns the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol as a violation of international law," the union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told the UN Security Council in a meeting addressing co-operation between the UN and regional organizations.
To international condemnation, Crimea was formally annexed by Moscow after a disputed self-rule referendum last March on the heels of violent anti-government protests in Kiev that led to the overthrow of then-President Victor Yanukovich.
After the annexation, pro-Russia separatists captured parts of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine in April. The conflict has since claimed nearly 6,000 lives, according to the UN.
"Our policy towards Ukraine is crystal clear. We want to put an end to the conflict ... and to safeguard Ukraine's territorial integrity," Mogherini said.
In response to Russia's alleged role in the conflict, the EU has imposed sanctions that targets some of Russia's key economic sectors and individuals accused of undermining Kiev's sovereignty.
With respects to Libya, Mogherini urged the rival factions of the North African country to grasp a "last chance" to agree on a transitional national unity government, referring to UN-backed efforts to forge a peace agreement between the parties.
"This should happen within days, not weeks, as time does not work on our side," she said.
Libya has experienced growing instability since the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, with an armed conflict that yielded two rival seats of government, each with its own institutions, in Tripoli and Tobruk.
"With the crisis getting deeper, Daesh franchise is spreading thousands of miles away from the Levant,” Mogherini said, referring the terror group also known as ISIL. “Human traffickers have already put at risk the lives of too many migrants," she added.
The constant fighting and political crisis also paved the way for extremist movements such as Daesh to gain a foothold in the country.
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