19 Western countries condemned the human rights violations committed by Russia and its security forces in Crimea, and called on them to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
This came in a joint statement issued by the 19 countries after the end of a session of the UN Security Council called by Russia on Wednesday, which was held in the form of "Aria", which are informal meetings that do not issue any decisions or statements in the name of the Council.
The 19 countries are the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine.
The statement said that Russia held an informal meeting at the United Nations yesterday "to promote a false narrative about its occupation of the Crimean peninsula, which it seized in violation of international law in 2014."
"We condemn the human rights violations committed by Russia and its military build-up in the peninsula, and we firmly reject its attempt to annex the autonomous Crimea peninsula and the city of Sevastopol," he added.
The statement emphasized that Moscow's actions are a source of global concern and are inconsistent with international law, including the United Nations Charter.
These countries demanded Russia to immediately allow envoys of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as humanitarian workers, international missions to monitor human rights, and non-governmental organizations to reach Crimea.
Russia called for an immediate end to its occupation and an end to human rights violations, the release of all Ukrainian prisoners it is unjustly holding, a halt to its aggressive actions in Ukraine, and respect for its international obligations.
After a unilateral referendum on 16 March 2014, Russia annexed Crimea to its territory, regardless of international laws and human rights, according to what the signatories say.
On March 27, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution stating that the referendum to annex Crimea to Russia was "null."