"The European Union continues to condemn the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and will not recognise it."
"In view of reports about local 'elections' having taken place in Crimea and Sevastopol, we recall that the European Union recognises neither the legal framework nor the legitimacy of these 'elections.'"
From our news desk:
Ukraine's parliament and the European Parliament have ratified an Association Agreement meant to tighten political and economic ties between Kyiv and the European Union.
The two parliaments ratified the agreement in simultaneous sessions held in Kyiv and Strasbourg on September 16.
President Petro Poroshenko told Ukrainian lawmakers before the vote that the agreement was a "first step, an important step" towards membership in the EU.
Refusal to sign the same agreement last year sparked months of protests leading to the ouster of Poroshenko's predecessor, Viktor Yanykovych, and touched off a chain of events including Russia's annexation of Crimea and a rebellion by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
On September 12, the EU and Ukraine agreed to delay implementation of a free-trade portion of the pact until 2016 in a concession to Russia. (AP, AFP, and Interfax)
LATEST: Ukraine's parliament and the European Parliament have ratified an Association Agreement meant to tighten political and economic ties between Kyiv and the EU.
LATEST: Ukraine's parliament has adopted a "special status" law giving limited self-rule to parts of THE eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions for three years, and separate legislation granting amnesty to participants in the conflict between pro-Russian separatists and government forces. (Interfax, UNIAN)
Russian security forces have raided the Crimean Tatar assembly and the home of one of its members. Ten police officers and six armed, masked men surrounded the Mejlis in Crimea's capital, Simferopol.
Crimean Tatar Mejlis Raided, Searched By Police
Here's today's map of the military situation in eastern Ukraine from the National Security and Defense Council:
Our Ukrainian Service reports from Crimea:
Russian security forces have raided the Crimean Tatar assembly and the home of one of its members.
Reporting from the site, an RFE/RL correspondent said 10 police officers and six armed, masked men in military uniform surrounded the Mejlis in Crimea's capital, Simferopol, and were not letting anyone enter or leave the building.
The Mejlis is the self-governing body of the Crimean Tatars, most of whom opposed Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March and many of whom boycotted local elections on September 14.
Police inside the building on September 16 were said to be searching the offices of the Crimean Tatar newspaper "Avdet" (Return).
Police also searched the home of Mejlis member Eskender Bariyev and confiscated his computers.
On September 15, three masked, armed men removed a Ukrainian national flag from the Mejlis building.