Russia's "wilful violation" of Ukraine's sovereignty has global implications and has hindered its ability to help develop the Asia-Pacific region, a senior US official said Tuesday.
"This is not an eastern European issue, this is a planet Earth issue," said US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Russel.
"Russia's ability to contribute to the development of the Asia-Pacific region... has been badly compromised by its annexation of Crimea and its wilful violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbour the Ukraine."
The United States has fiercely criticised Russia for the annexation, and for what it describes as Moscow's support for pro-Russian separatists who have occupied key buildings in eastern Ukraine.
There are fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an invasion of eastern Ukraine after Kiev launched a military offensive to dislodge the separatists.
"The issue is that it is unacceptable for large countries to use force against small neighbours with impunity," Russel told reporters during a visit to Hong Kong.
The assistant secretary also called on rival claimants in the South China Sea to show "care and restraint".
China claims most of the sea including waters or islands close to other nations, which have accused it of aggressive behaviour.
China also has a dispute with Japan about islands in the East China Seas, known by Tokyo as the Senkakus and by Beijing as the Diaoyu Islands.
Russel said the US believes the two could work peacefully together.
"Japan has a decades-long record of peaceful contributions to the Asia-Pacific region and we see no reason why Japan and China can't together take steps to reduce the risk of unintended incidents in the East China Sea," he said.
Short link: