Ukraine at UN says Putin's Crimea decree 'null and void'

UNITED NATIONS, United States: Ukraine's UN ambassador on Thursday dismissed as "null and void" a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin incorporating annexed Crimea into his country's southern region.
Kiev asked the UN Security Council to issue a statement reaffirming Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the decree, but Russia opposed the move.
"The decision is null and void as any other decision taken by Crimea so far," Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko told reporters, adding that there was "indignation" in Kiev over the move.
Yelchenko circulated at draft statement calling on the Security Council to express its "deep concern" over Putin's decision and to assert its "full respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine".
The ambassador said he expected Russia, one of the five countries with veto power on the council, to block the statement and diplomats confirmed it was rejected by Moscow.
Putin issued a decree merging Crimea into the southern federal district of Russia to strengthen the work of federal state bodies, the Kremlin press service said.
Wading into the US election campaign, the Ukrainian ambassador said he expected any future US president to respect UN decisions rejecting Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he would consider recognising Crimea as part of Russia and lifting sanctions imposed on Moscow in response to the land grab.
"Mr. Trump is not the president of the United States, at least not yet," said Yelchenko.
"There are well-known decisions of the United Nations," he added. "I am pretty sure that any US government will pay full respect to those decisions." — AFP