UN declared Russia's annexation of Crimea 'illegal'

The United Nations General Assembly has condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea, calling it illegal.

The Assembly approved a resolution describing the Moscow-backed referendum that led to Russia's annexation as 'illegal'.

The move from the UN comes after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to a loan deal with Ukraine worth 14 to 18 billion dollars, the BBC reports.

According to the report, the US Congress also passed legislation backing a one billion dollars loan guarantee for Ukraine.

Nearly 100 countries voted in favour of approving a UN General Assembly resolution declaring the Crimean referendum illegal and affirming Ukraine's territorial integrity, the report said.

A bill was also passed in the US Senate and House of Representatives providing one billion dollars in loan to stabilize Ukraine's economy.