Baku-APA. The NATO secretary general has condemned what he calls Russia's “illegal” annexation of Crimea, saying Moscow “continues down the dangerous path”, APA reports quoting Press TV
In a statement released on Tuesday, Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that NATO allies would not recognize Crimea’s reunification with Russia.
"I condemn (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin's announcement of new laws incorporating Crimea into the Russian Federation," Rasmussen said.
Earlier in the day, Putin signed a treaty making Crimea part of Russia, saying the vote demonstrated the overwhelming will of the Crimean people to be reunited with Russia after 60 years as part of Ukraine.
The NATO chief also urged Moscow and Kiev to exercise restraint after the death of a Ukrainian soldier.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Barack Obama had a phone conversation in which they called for a diplomatic solution of the crisis.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also urged all parties to immediately resume constructive dialogue to resolve the crisis.
Crimea has witnessed dramatic developments in the last few days, taking the center stage of world news.
On Sunday, 96.8 percent of residents of Crimea voted to break away from Ukraine and rejoin Russia in a referendum that has triggered the biggest crisis in relations between the United States and Russia since the Cold War.
A day after the referendum, Crimea declared independence and formally applied to become part of Russia.
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