Kerry: US will not recognize Crimean referendum outcome
After meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for six hours in London Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry stated that the US will not recognize the outcome of Sunday’s Crimean referendum, which he said is contrary to the Ukraine constitution, in violation of international law and illegitimate. If Russia establishes facts on the ground that threaten the Ukraine people, “there will be costs,” he said. Kerry said he put forward alternative ideas, but the Russian foreign minister said President Vladimir Putin had decided that any decisions on Ukraine must wait until after the Crimean referendum.