Martin Schulz says that the Referendum in Ukraine is illegitimate; EP supports Ukraine's territorial integrity

European Parliament President Martin Schulz made the following statement on Sunday's referendum in Crimea.

"I regret that this referendum took place as it was illegitimate, illegal and has complicated future efforts to resolve the crisis. This ballot was valid neither under the Ukrainian nor international law.

The European Parliament fully supports territorial integrity of Ukraine. A united Ukraine must be able to determine its future freely.¨

"I would like to repeat my condemnation of Russia's military incursion into Crimea. It was a breach of international law and a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. Arguments that a military action is needed to protect an ethnic minority were often used in the past, with disastrous consequences."