US Condemns Russian Elections in Crimea

The United States says it will not recognize the outcome of the Russian parliamentary elections slated for Russian-occupied Crimea Sunday.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement "Our position on Crimea is clear: the peninsula remains an integral part of Ukraine. Crimea-related sanctions against Russia will remain until Russia returns control of Crimea to Ukraine.

Kirby added "We also continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Crimea, including the status of the ethnic Tatar community and widespread reports of missing persons and human rights abuses."

Ukraine Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said the elections are "completely illegitimate" and he is concerned about the "extreme amount" of Russian troops in Crimea.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, following a local referendum the U.N. General Assembly nearly unanimously called illegal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted his soldiers moved into the strategic Black Sea peninsula before the referendum took place, but has repeatedly denied backing the pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has claimed nearly 10,000 lives since it began in April 2014.