PARIS, March 18 (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday condemned the decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign a treaty integrating Crimea into Russia, saying Europe needs to provide a "strong" response.
"I condemn this decision. France does not recognise either the results of the referendum ... or the attachment of this Ukrainian region to Russia," Hollande said in a statement.
"The next European Council meeting on March 20-21 must provide the opportunity for a strong and coordinated European response to the hurdle that has just been jumped."
He did not elaborate on what that response could be. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by James Regan)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
