The EU imposed additional sanctions Thursday on Crimea, banning all investment and restricting trade to force home the message the bloc will not recognise Russia's "illegal annexation" of Ukraine territory.
"The annexation is illegal and what we are doing is part of the non-recognition" policy, European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said, calling on Russia to help end the Ukraine crisis which has cost more than 4,600 lives since Moscow seized Crimea in March.