Biden tells Ukraine leaders U.S. will not recognize Crimea as Russia’s

Vice President Joe Biden told the Kremlin during a visit Friday to Ukraine that the United States will never recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea and warned Moscow that it faces greater isolation if it continues its “provocative action.”

Biden was in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, on the first anniversary of the “Maidan” revolution that brought hundreds of thousands of protesters into the streets for three months before President Viktor Yanukovich was driven from office on Feb. 21.

Ukraine has since been torn apart by a pro-Russia rebellion in the east of the country and the loss of the Crimean peninsula, which Russia seized days after its loyal ally Yanukovich was forced to flee.

Biden called on Russia to withdraw its troops and armaments from eastern Ukraine and cease the “aggression” threatening Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“But that has not happened,” he lamented in a speech after meeting with Ukrainian leaders. “Instead, we’ve seen more provocative action, more blatant disregard for the agreement signed not long ago by Russia. As long as that continues Russia will face rising cost, greater isolation.”

The fighting in eastern Ukraine was spurred by the Crimea annexation and Kiev’s turn toward Western Europe for trade and political alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin had been pushing the Moscow-dominated Eurasian Union of former Soviet states as an alternative to the European Union, and Yanukovich’s unilateral decision a year ago to keep Ukraine in Moscow’s orbit sparked the Maidan protests.

Moscow’s seizure of Crimea, home of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, cleaved vital ports, bases, resorts and 2 million citizens from Ukrainian government control.

“It is simply not acceptable in the 21st century for countries to attempt to redraw borders by force in Europe or anywhere, or to intervene militarily because they don’t like decisions their neighbor has made,” Biden said.