CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Late Wednesday afternoon, President BArack Obama spoke with our KSDK-TV, St. Louis, about whether American troops are an option if the sanctions against Russia don't work. 
 
 President Barack Obama speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on March 17, 2014. (Photo: Susan Walsh, AP) 
 
 WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Wednesday there is currently no military option on the table in Ukraine following a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin making Crimea part of the Russian Federation. 
 
 "We do not need to trigger an actual war with Russia," Obama said in an interview with KSDK-TV. "The Ukrainians don't want that, nobody would want that. 
 
 "But what we can do is stand up for principle, stand by the Ukrainian people." 
 
 He expressed support for legislation that would give aid and assistance to Ukraine, as well as stricter economic sanctions against Russia. 
 
 STORY: Russia takes over Ukraine's military bases, officers 
 
 STORY: Timeline: Key events in Ukraine 
 
 "We've sent a clear message to Mr. Putin that we'll probably be doing more stuff over the next several days, and ultimately, if we see the continuation of the process, then in coordination with our European allies, you can expect even more disruptive economic actions that could end up having a significant impact on the Russian economy." 
 
 Ukraine's government said Wednesday it will pull its troops from Crimea, where Russian troops and Crimean allies are seizing military bases and officers. 
 
 Contributing: USA TODAY 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1gSeaZg ||||| VIENNA (AP) — U.S.-Russian tensions over Ukraine spilled over into nuclear talks with Iran Wednesday, with Moscow's chief envoy at the negotiations warning that his country may take "retaliatory measures" that could hurt attempts to persuade Tehran to cut back on programs that could make atomic arms. 
 
 European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif, right, adress the media after closed-door nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, March 19,... (Associated Press) 
 
 European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif, right, adress the media after closed-door nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, March 19,... (Associated Press) 
 
 European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif, right, leave a news conference after closed-door nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, March... (Associated Press) 
 
 European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif, right, adress the media after closed-door nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, March 19,... (Associated Press) 
 
 European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif, right, adress the media after closed-door nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, March 19,... (Associated Press) 
 
 European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif, right, adress the media after closed-door nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, March 19,... (Associated Press) 
 
 The statement, by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, appeared to be the most serious threat of reprisal by Moscow for Western sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. 
 
 Russia is key to attempts to coax Iran into significant long-term curbs of its nuclear program in exchange for relief from U.N. and other sanctions. Iran insists it does not want nuclear arms but is seeking a deal that will result in full sanctions relief. 
 
 The Russian threat, hours after the latest negotiating round ended, appeared to catch Washington off guard. 
 
 Days ahead of the meeting, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki had said she expects Russia to "remain an active partner" in the talks. During the two-day talks, Western officials involved described Russia's participation as constructive and unchanged by the Ukraine tensions. 
 
 Ryabkov was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying Russia may feel compelled to respond to U.S. and European Union actions. He said Russia considers "reunification" with Crimea more important than the developments surrounding Iran's nuclear program. 
 
 "We wouldn't like to use these talks as an element of the game of raising the stakes taking into account the sentiments in some European capitals, Brussels and Washington," Ryabkov was quoted as saying. "But if they force us into that, we will take retaliatory measures here as well." 
 
 Russia and the U.S. often hold different positions about what Iran needs to do to banish fears about its nuclear activities. That includes uranium enrichment, which Iran says it needs to make reactor fuel — but which can also manufacture fissile warhead material. 
 
 Ahead of the most recent talks, diplomats told The Associated Press that Moscow was ready to accept a more robust Iranian enrichment program than Washington. 
 
 But American officials have always said that Russia and the United States are united in their goal of banishing the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, even if they differ on how to get there. 
 
 Iran has often tried to exploit U.S.-Russian differences and Ryabkov's comments could embolden it to resist significant nuclear cutbacks. 
 
 China usually supports Russia at the negotiations but the United States, Britain, France and Germany are unlikely to accept a lenient deal. 
 
 At worst, the talks could fall apart. That could embolden Israel to make good on threats to attack Iran's nuclear facilities and draw the United States into any military confrontation. 
 
 The Russian comments overshadowed signs that Iran may be ready to compromise. 
 
 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had suggested earlier Wednesday his country was ready eliminate fears that a reactor it is building at Arak could be used to make atomic arms. 
 
 Zarif implied that Iran was open to re-engineering the facility to one that would produce less plutonium, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Like enriched uranium, plutonium can be used to arm nuclear warheads. 
 
 While Iran insists on completing and running its nuclear reactor, "any proliferation concerns" linked to it "have to be removed," he was quoted as saying. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Ischachenkov reported from Moscow. Margaret Childs in Vienna and Associated Press writer Ali Akbar Dareini in Tehran contributed to this report. ||||| Story highlights Russian defense minister says his troops have no intention of entering Ukraine 
 
 U.S. sanctions target 20 Russian officials, Bank Rossiya, Treasury Department says 
 
 Russia announces sanctions against nine U.S. officials and lawmakers 
 
 Moscow's lower house approves treaty to annex Crimea 
 
 Russia's lower house of parliament overwhelmingly approved a treaty Thursday to annex the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine, prompting tougher sanctions from the United States. 
 
 Russia responded with its own sanctions against a list of U.S. officials and lawmakers. 
 
 After Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had presented the treaty and urged lawmakers to accept the region as a part of the Russian Federation, the document was approved on a vote of 443 to 1. 
 
 Speaking "on behalf" of Putin, Lavrov had told the State Duma that folding Crimea into Russia was needed to protect ethnic Russians there. 
 
 "I am certain that passing the document will become a turning point in the destiny of multi-ethnic nations of Crimea and Russia, who are related with close ties of the historical unity," Lavrov said. 
 
 The political crisis has been the biggest blow to Russia's relations with the West since the Cold War. 
 
 Approval of the treaty in the State Duma was in no doubt as Russia has stood defiant despite Western leaders denouncing Moscow's actions as a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and a breach of international law. 
 
 European Union leaders said Thursday they will sign a political association agreement with Ukraine and add 12 more people to the list of individuals targeted for sanctions, including Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. 
 
 EU member states also are threatening possible tougher targeted measures, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy told reporters. 
 
 "We make clear that failure to settle the crisis peacefully, and any steps by Russia to destabilize Ukraine, will have far reaching consequences," he said. "And by that we mean consequences on relations in a broad range of economic areas." 
 
 U.S. and EU officials had already imposed sanctions on more than two dozen Russian and Crimean officials, and urged Russia to avoid escalating the crisis -- a call Moscow has ignored. 
 
 But U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday announced more sanctions on individuals and one bank in response to Russia's annexation moves. 
 
 He also signed a new executive order that authorizes possible further sanctions on what he called "key sectors" of the Russian economy if Moscow does not act to deescalate the situation. 
 
 "This is not our preferred outcome. These sanctions would not only have a significant impact on the Russian economy, but could also be disruptive to the global economy," he said. "However Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community." 
 
 Russia must respect "basic principles" of sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said, adding that the United States should also provide financial support for Ukraine's government and people. 
 
 "We want the Ukrainian people to determine their own destiny and have good relations with the United States, Russia, Europe -- anyone they choose," he said, calling for continued diplomatic efforts. 
 
 Sanctions lists 
 
 The new U.S. sanctions target 20 officials, including senior Russians and "cronies" who hold significant influence in the Russian system, as well as one bank that holds "significant" resources, a senior U.S. administration official told reporters. 
 
 That bank was listed by the U.S. Treasury Department as Bank Rossiya. 
 
 The individuals named by the Treasury include major Putin allies, both in the Kremlin and in business. Among the 16 government officials listed are Putin's chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov; the speaker of the State Duma, Sergey Naryshkin; and Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the Security and Defense Committee of the Russia parliament's upper house. 
 
 Four others were named as members of the government's inner circle. They are financier Yuri Kovalchuk, labeled Putin's personal banker by a senior U.S. administration official; magnate Gennady Timchenko, whose activities in the energy sector have been directly linked to Putin, according to the Treasury; and businessmen Arkady and Boris Rotenberg. 
 
 Besides Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin, The expanded EU sanctions target list includes two advisors to President Putin, Sergey Glazyev and Vladislav Surkov, as well as the chairwoman of the Russian Senate Valentina Matvienko. 
 
 Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the new round of U.S. sanctions would be "significantly more powerful than the first one." 
 
 The latest round "hits significant economic interests that are fairly close to the ruling circles in Moscow. It will be noticed," he said. 
 
 Russia responded with sanctions against nine U.S. officials and lawmakers, including speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and Sens. John McCain, Robert Menendez, Daniel Coats and Mary Landrieu, according to a list published by the Russian Foreign Ministry. 
 
 Boehner's spokesman, Michael Steel, said the lawmaker was "proud to be included on a list of those willing to stand against Putin's aggression." 
 
 McCain responded, "I guess this means my spring break in Siberia is off, my Gazprom stock is lost, and my secret bank account in Moscow is frozen. Nonetheless, I will never cease my efforts on behalf of the freedom, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea." 
 
 The U.S. Treasury said Bank Rossiya is controlled by Yuri Kovalchuk and is the 17th-largest bank in Russia. 
 
 It has $10 billion in assets and handles the accounts of some top government officials, the Treasury said, adding that the bank has relationships with banks in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. The bank also provides services to the oil, gas and energy sectors, it said. 
 
 "As a result of Treasury's action, any assets of the persons designated today that are within U.S. jurisdiction must be frozen," the Treasury said. 
 
 British Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters at the EU Heads of State or Government summit there would likely be more asset freezes and travel bans. 
 
 Finland's Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb told CNN more names would be added Thursday. 
 
 "There will probably be over 10 new names on the list and then of course people are going to argue, are these people good to be on the list, bad to be on the list are they to be taken seriously and so on, but there will be more names," Stubb said. 
 
 Lavrov told lawmakers that sanctions "have never brought any positive results" and that there were no legal grounds for them. 
 
 Kiev defiant 
 
 Russia's defense minister assured U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in phone call Thursday that Russian troops on the Ukraine border do not intend to cross the border or take aggressive action, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said. 
 
 Hagel made it clear in the lengthy and sometimes "direct" talk with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu that the Russians bear responsibility for what happens in Crimea, including the recent violence, since they are in control there, Kirby said. 
 
 While Russia insists its actions are legitimate, Ukraine's parliament said Thursday that Kiev will never stop fighting for Crimea, even if the country's new leaders have discussed evacuating military personnel from the region. 
 
 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian tanks are transported from their base in Perevalne, Crimea, on Wednesday, March 26. After Russian troops seized most of Ukraine's bases in Crimea, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from the peninsula, citing Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families. Hide Caption 1 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian marines wave as they leave a base in Feodosia, Crimea, on Tuesday, March 25. Hide Caption 2 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian sailors stand on the deck of the corvette ship Suzdalets in the bay of Sevastopol, Crimea, on March 25. Hide Caption 3 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian militia members remove a local resident as Russian troops assault the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, on Saturday, March 22. Following its annexation of Crimea, Russian forces have consolidated their control of the region. Hide Caption 4 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers in unmarked uniforms sit atop an armored personnel carrier at the gate of the Belbek air base on March 22. Hide Caption 5 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian sailor holds the Russian Navy's St. Andrew's flag while standing on the bow of the surrendered Ukrainian submarine Zaporozhye on March 22 in Sevastopol. Hide Caption 6 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the final decree completing the annexation of Crimea on Friday, March 21, as Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin watch. Hide Caption 7 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a Ukrainian military unit that Russian soldiers took control of in Perevalne on March 21. Hide Caption 8 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian border guards run during training at a military camp in Alekseyevka, Ukraine, on March 21. Hide Caption 9 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalne on Thursday, March 20. Hide Caption 10 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate to the Ukrainian navy headquarters as Russian troops stand guard in Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 19. Hide Caption 11 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian forces walk inside the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19. Hide Caption 12 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A member of pro-Russian forces takes down a Ukrainian flag at the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19. Hide Caption 13 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Alexander Vitko, chief of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaves the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol after pro-Russian forces took it over on March 19. Hide Caption 14 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian flag waves as workers install a new sign on a parliament building in Simferopol, Crimea's capital, on March 19. Hide Caption 15 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian military personnel surround a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 19. Hide Caption 16 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Nameplates on the front of the Crimean parliament building get removed Tuesday, March 18, in Simferopol. Hide Caption 17 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – From left, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov; Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Alexei Chaly, the new de facto mayor of Sevastopol, join hands in Moscow on March 18 after signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia. Hide Caption 18 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators hold a Crimean flag at Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 18. Hide Caption 19 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint near Strilkove, Ukraine, close to Crimea on Monday, March 17. Hide Caption 20 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Former boxer and Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko addresses reporters in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 17. Hide Caption 21 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops stand guard in front of the Ukrainian Parliament building in Kiev on March 17. Hide Caption 22 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian man applies for the National Guard at a mobile recruitment center in Kiev on March 17. Hide Caption 23 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Civilians walk past riot police in Simferopol on March 17. Hide Caption 24 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of an armored vehicle at a military camp near the village of Michurino, Ukraine, on March 17. Hide Caption 25 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Policemen stand guard outside the regional state administration building in Donetsk, Ukraine, during a rally by pro-Russia activists March 17. Hide Caption 26 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Armed soldiers stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 17. Hide Caption 27 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A man holds a Crimean flag as he stands in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol on March 17. Hide Caption 28 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Crimeans holding Russian flags celebrate in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on Sunday, March 16. Hide Caption 29 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian police officer tries to shield himself from a road block thrown by pro-Russia supporters in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 16. Hide Caption 30 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators storm the prosecutor general's office during a rally in Donetsk on March 16. Hide Caption 31 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A child casts her mother's ballot March 16 while holding a Russian flag at a polling station in Simferopol. Hide Caption 32 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier, with the Russian flag behind him, mans a machine gun outside an Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on Saturday, March 15. Hide Caption 33 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier guards the perimeter outside an Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 15. Hide Caption 34 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian flags wave in front of a monument dedicated to Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin during a pro-Russia rally in Simferopol's Lenin Square on March 15. Hide Caption 35 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Evgenyi Batyukhov cries March 14 at the site where pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists clashed the night before in Donetsk, Ukraine. Hide Caption 36 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A line of policemen stand in front of a bus of pro-Ukrainian activists as pro-Russian supporters confront them during a rally in Donetsk on Thursday, March 13. Hide Caption 37 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian supporters clash with pro-Ukrainian activists in Donetsk on March 13. Hide Caption 38 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Recent Academy Award winner Jared Leto walks through Independence Square in Kiev on March 13. During his Oscars acceptance speech in early March, the actor spoke to protesters in Ukraine and Venezuela saying, "We're thinking of you tonight." Hide Caption 39 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A member of a pro-Russian self-defense unit checks a polling station near Simferopol on March 13. Hide Caption 40 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian soldier looks out of the window of a regional military building with a poster reading "Ukraine's armed forces wait for you!" in Donetsk on March 13. Hide Caption 41 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – An armed Cossack stands guard at a checkpoint on the road from Simferopol to Sevastopol on March 13. Hide Caption 42 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier speaks to a truck driver outside the Ukrainian infantry base in Perevalne on Wednesday, March 12. Hide Caption 43 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Cossacks stand guard at Crimea's regional parliament building in Simferopol on March 12. Hide Caption 44 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers are seen aboard the Ukrainian ship Slavutych in the harbor of Sevastopol on Tuesday, March 11. Hide Caption 45 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian naval officers board a boat in front of the Russian minesweeper Turbinist in Sevastopol's harbor on March 11. Hide Caption 46 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – People shout slogans during a pro-Russia rally in Donetsk on Sunday, March 9. Hide Caption 47 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian police detain a demonstrator during a pro-Russian rally in Donetsk on March 9. Hide Caption 48 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia protesters remove a Ukrainian flag from a flagpole taken from a government building in Donetsk on March 9. Hide Caption 49 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Cossacks and other pro-Russian forces stand guard outside a government building in Simferopol on Saturday, March 8. Hide Caption 50 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers load armored personnel carriers into boxcars in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 8. Hide Caption 51 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men believed to be Russian military march in a village outside Simferopol on Friday, March 7. Hide Caption 52 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia protesters demonstrate outside the Belbek air base, near Sevastopol, on Thursday, March 6. Hide Caption 53 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian navy officer looks at the scuttled, decommissioned Russian vessel Ochakov from the Black Sea shore outside the town of Myrnyi, Ukraine, on March 6. Russian naval personnel scuttled the ship, blockading access for five Ukrainian naval vessels. Hide Caption 54 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A member of the Russian military patrols around Perevalne on March 6. Hide Caption 55 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Servicemen guard a checkpoint at a Ukrainian navy base in Perevalne on March 6. Hide Caption 56 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops guard the Belbek air base on March 6. Hide Caption 57 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A woman walks past barricades March 6 that were set up by anti-government protesters in Kiev's Independence Square. Hide Caption 58 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A sailor guards the Ukrainian Navy ship Slavutych in the Bay of Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 5. Hide Caption 59 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – People wait in line for food distribution in Independence Square on March 5. Hide Caption 60 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian sailors carry meat to their vessel in the Sevastopol harbor on March 5. Hide Caption 61 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Riot police stand at the entrance of a regional administrative building during a rally in Donetsk on March 5. Hide Caption 62 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian police officer gives instructions to members of the media in front of the business class lounge of the Simferopol airport on March 5. Hide Caption 63 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators wave a Russian flag after storming a regional administrative building in Donetsk on March 5. Hide Caption 64 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators break a police barrier as they storm a regional administrative building in Donetsk on March 5. Hide Caption 65 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian military recruits line up to receive instructions in Kiev's Independence Square on Tuesday, March 4. Hide Caption 66 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – People stand on the Ukrainian Navy ship Slavutych while it's at harbor in Sevastopol on March 4. Mattresses were placed over the side of the ship to hinder any attempted assault. Hide Caption 67 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops watch as a Russian navy ship blocks the entrance of the Ukrainian navy base in Sevastopol on March 4. Hide Caption 68 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A woman photographs pro-Russian soldiers guarding Ukraine's infantry base in Perevalne on March 4. Hide Caption 69 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, wearing a blue scarf, visits a shrine March 4 for the people who were killed in February during anti-government protests in Kiev. Hide Caption 70 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Yuli Mamchun, the commander of the Ukrainian military garrison at the Belbek air base near Sevastopol, salutes on March 4. Hide Caption 71 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers stand guard at the Belbek air base on March 4. Hide Caption 72 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian military members march at the Belbek air base on March 4. Hide Caption 73 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers fire warning shots to keep back Ukrainian military members at the Belbek air base on March 4. Hide Caption 74 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian airman puts the Ukrainian national flag over the gate of the Belbek air base as they guard what's left under their control on March 4. Hide Caption 75 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers aim a grenade launcher and machine gun as they guard positions at the Belbek air base on March 4. Hide Caption 76 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian seamen stand guard on the Ukrainian navy ship Slavutych in the Sevastopol harbor on Monday, March 3. Hide Caption 77 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Oleg, a Ukrainian soldier, kisses his girlfriend, Svetlana, through the gates of the Belbek base entrance on March 3. Tensions are high at the base, where Ukrainian soldiers were standing guard inside the building while alleged Russian gunmen were standing guard outside the gates. Hide Caption 78 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Wives of Ukrainian soldiers walk past Russian soldiers to visit their husbands guarding a military base in Perevalne on March 3. Hide Caption 79 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian soldier guards an area outside Ukraine's military base in the village of Perevalne on March 3. Hide Caption 80 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A sailor looks out a window near the entrance to the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 3. Hide Caption 81 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men in military uniform walk outside a Ukrainian military unit near Simferopol on Sunday, March 2. Hundreds of armed men in trucks and armored vehicles surrounded the Ukrainian base Sunday in Crimea, blocking its soldiers from leaving. Hide Caption 82 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers walk outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne as a local resident waves a Russian flag March 2. Hide Caption 83 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators shout during a rally in Kiev's Independence Square on March 2. Hide Caption 84 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers, left, and unidentified gunmen, right, stand at the gate of an infantry base in Perevalne on March 2. Hide Caption 85 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers guard a gate of an infantry base in Perevalne on March 2. Hide Caption 86 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A woman cries during a rally in Independence Square on March 2. Hide Caption 87 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters hold flags of the United States, Germany and Italy during a rally in Independence Square on March 2. Hide Caption 88 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – People attend a morning prayer service at Independence Square on March 2. Hide Caption 89 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A soldier and a truck driver unload bread outside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 2. Hide Caption 90 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Heavily armed troops, displaying no identifying insignia and who were mingling with local pro-Russian militants, stand guard outside a local government building in Simferopol on March 2. Hide Caption 91 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A woman waits in front of unidentified men in military fatigues who were blocking a base of the Ukrainian frontier guard unit in Balaklava, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 1. Hide Caption 92 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Oval Office of the White House, talks on the phone March 1 with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hide Caption 93 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Troops stand guard in Balaklava on March 1. Hide Caption 94 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Heavily armed soldiers displaying no identifying insignia maintain watch in Simferopol on March 1. Hide Caption 95 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – People gather around the coffin of a man who was killed during clashes with riot police in Independence Square. Hide Caption 96 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian activists hold Russian flags during a rally in the center of Donetsk on March 1. Hide Caption 97 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian activists clash with Maidan supporters as they storm the regional government building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1. Hide Caption 98 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A protester stands at a memorial March 1 for the people killed in clashes at Independence Square. Hide Caption 99 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men patrol outside the Simferopol International Airport on Friday, February 28. Hide Caption 100 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – An image provided to CNN by a local resident shows Russian tanks on the move in Sevastopol. Hide Caption 101 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Russian troops block a road February 28 toward the military airport in Sevastopol. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is based at the port city. Hide Caption 102 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men stand guard in front of a building near the Simferopol airport on February 28. Hide Caption 103 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – An armed man wearing no identifying insignia patrols outside Simferopol International Airport on February 28. Hide Caption 104 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Police stand guard outside the Crimea regional parliament building Thursday, February 27, in Simferopol. Armed men seized the regional government administration building and parliament in Crimea. Hide Caption 105 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Police intervene as Russian supporters gather in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on February 27. Hide Caption 106 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A man adds fuel to a fire at a barricade in Independence Square on February 27. Dozens of people were killed during clashes between security forces and protesters. Hide Caption 107 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators wave Russian and Crimean flags in front of a local government building in Simferopol on February 27. Hide Caption 108 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Barricades in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27 hold a banner that reads: "Crimea Russia." There's a broad divide between those who support the pro-Western developments in Kiev and those who back Russia's continued influence in Crimea and across Ukraine. Hide Caption 109 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters stand in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27. Tensions have simmered in the Crimea region since the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Hide Caption 110 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters in support of the president's ouster rally in Independence Square, which has been the center of opposition, on Wednesday, February 26. Hide Caption 111 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Security forces stand guard during clashes between opposing sides in front of Crimea's parliament building in Simferopol on February 26. Hide Caption 112 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian demonstrators, right, clash with anti-Russian protesters in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 26. Hide Caption 113 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A police officer gets pulled into a crowd of Crimean Tatars in Simferopol on February 26. The Tatars, an ethnic minority group deported during the Stalin era, rallied in support of Ukraine's interim government. Hide Caption 114 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A man places flowers at a barricade near Independence Square on February 26. Hide Caption 115 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – On February 26 in Kiev, a woman holds a photograph of a protester killed during the height of tensions. Hide Caption 116 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Police guard a government building in Donetsk on February 26. Hide Caption 117 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters remove a fence that surrounds Ukraine's parliament in Kiev on February 26. Hide Caption 118 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – People sing the Ukrainian national anthem at Independence Square on Monday, February 24. Hide Caption 119 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Gas masks used by protesters sit next to a barricade in Independence Square on February 24. Hide Caption 120 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A woman cries February 24 near a memorial for the people killed in Kiev. Hide Caption 121 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – People wave a large Ukrainian flag in Independence Square on Sunday, February 23. Hide Caption 122 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Two pro-government supporters are made to pray February 23 in front of a shrine to dead anti-government protesters. Hide Caption 123 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A man and his daughter lay flowers at a memorial for protesters killed in Independence Square. Hide Caption 124 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks at Independence Square on Saturday, February 22, hours after being released from prison. Tymoshenko, considered a hero of a 2004 revolution against Yanukovych, was released after 2½ years behind bars. Hide Caption 125 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Tymoshenko is greeted by supporters shortly after being freed from prison in Kharkiv on February 22. Hide Caption 126 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – A protester guards the entrance to Yanukovych's abandoned residence outside Kiev on February 22. Hide Caption 127 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Anti-government protesters guard the streets next to the presidential offices in Kiev on February 22. Hide Caption 128 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Anti-government protesters drive a military vehicle in Independence Square on February 22. Many protesters said they wouldn't leave the square until Yanukovych resigned. Hide Caption 129 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian lawmakers argue during a session of Parliament on Friday, February 21. Hide Caption 130 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Men in Kiev carry a casket containing the body of a protester killed in clashes with police. Hide Caption 131 of 132 Photos: Photos: Crisis in Ukraine Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters cheer after news of an agreement between the opposing sides in Kiev on February 21. Hide Caption 132 of 132 
 
 JUST WATCHED Who else is vulnerable to Putin? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Who else is vulnerable to Putin? 05:19 
 
 In a declaration published online, the Kiev parliament said "Crimea was, is and will be part of Ukraine." 
 
 "The Ukrainian people will never, under no circumstances, stop fighting for the liberation of Crimea from the occupants, no matter how hard and long it is." 
 
 Putin announced the annexation of Crimea after voters in the semi-autonomous territory approved a hastily called weekend referendum on separating from Ukraine. 
 
 Kiev officials unveiled new measures against Russia and the "self-proclaimed" authorities in Crimea. 
 
 In a televised briefing, Andriy Porubiy, secretary of the national defense and security council, said that if the United Nations designates Crimea a "demilitarized zone," Ukraine is prepared to evacuate its military personnel and family members. Ukraine has facilities ready to accommodate 25,000 evacuees. 
 
 A statement on the Ukrainian presidential website said former Presidents Leonid Kravchuk and Leonid Kuchma had asked Turchynov to redeploy soldiers who are still in Crimea to the mainland. 
 
 The call was "to protect and save lives of Ukrainian servicemen who bear service in difficult and dangerous conditions in Crimea," the statement said. 
 
 Porubiy had also said the measures included a full-scale visa system for Russians. 
 
 Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Kiev was in no hurry to impose a visa regime on Russia, since it could negatively affect Ukrainians living in the predominantly Russian-speaking east of the country. 
 
 Yatsenyuk is in Brussels to sign the political part of an association agreement with the European Union. 
 
 Lavrov said the intention to introduce visa regulations was "surprising and regrettable." 
 
 As diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continue, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon traveled to Russia Thursday, where he met Putin and Lavrov. He will then head to Kiev where he will meet acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov and Yatsenyuk on Friday. 
 
 Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Ban as saying during a meeting with Putin that he was "deeply concerned" by the situation involving Ukraine and Russia. 
 
 Navy chief released 
 
 Ukraine's navy commander, detained when supporters of Russia took over the naval headquarters in Crimea, was released, the presidential website said Thursday. 
 
 Amid signs the uneasy standoff between pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces could ignite into bloody conflict, about 300 armed men stormed the naval base in Sevastopol on Wednesday. They took away Ukrainian navy chief Sergey Gaiduk. 
 
 Turchynov issued a 9 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) deadline for Crimea to release all hostages and stop all provocations. Kiev's new leaders had warned that if all hostages, including Gaiduk, were not released by then, authorities would take action of "technical and technological character," probably meaning turning off utilities. 
 
 A statement on the presidential site said Gaiduk and several other hostages had been freed. They were released during the night and were on their way to Kiev Thursday. 
 
 Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had asked authorities in Crimea to free Gaiduk and allow him safe passage out of the region. 
 
 The incident at the navy headquarters came a day after one member of the Ukrainian military was killed when masked gunmen seized their base near the Crimean regional capital, Simferopol. 
 
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 JUST WATCHED Ukrainian MP speaks out on Crimea Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Ukrainian MP speaks out on Crimea 10:33 
 
 After that fatality -- the first Ukrainian military death since the Crimean crisis erupted about three weeks ago -- Ukraine's Defense Ministry authorized its forces to open fire in self-defense. ||||| Armed men, believed to be Russian servicemen, take cover behind an armored vehicle as they attempt to take over a military base in the Crimean town of Belbek, near Sevastopol. 
 
 March 22, 2014 Armed men, believed to be Russian servicemen, take cover behind an armored vehicle as they attempt to take over a military base in the Crimean town of Belbek, near Sevastopol. Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters 
 
 After an ultimatum to abandon the base and an hours-long standoff, Russian troops in at least four armored vehicles seized control of one of the last Ukrainian military outposts in Crimea. 
 
 A day after Russia effectively absorbed Crimea, Russian-backed forces on Wednesday broke into the Ukrainian naval headquarters in the key Crimean city of Sevastopol and raised the Russian flag. 
 
 A day after Russia effectively absorbed Crimea, Russian-backed forces on Wednesday broke into the Ukrainian naval headquarters in the key Crimean city of Sevastopol and raised the Russian flag. 
 
 Responding to Russia’s latest moves to formalize its annexation of Crimea, President Obama on Thursday announced new sanctions against Moscow and authorized possible future penalties against “key sectors of the Russian economy.” 
 
 Russia promptly retaliated by banning nine U.S. lawmakers and officials from entering the country. The list of banned Americans includes Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and three top Obama aides, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. McCain lamented sarcastically that his spring vacation in Siberia was now “off.” 
 
 The announcements came after the lower house of the Russian parliament voted Thursday to admit Crimea and the metropolitan region of Sevastopol into the Russian Federation, putting some of the final procedural touches on Moscow’s controversial takeover of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. 
 
 In Washington, Obama said he was ordering new sanctions against Russia in response to what he called Crimea’s “illegal” secession referendum and Russia’s “illegitimate move” to annex Crimea. 
 
 “The United States is today moving . . . to impose additional costs on Russia,” Obama said before embarking on a trip to Florida. He said more top Russian officials will be subject to sanctions, as well as other individuals and a bank known for providing “material support” to the Russian leadership. 
 
 President Obama said Thursday before leaving for Florida that the U.S. government would expand sanctions on Russian individuals and authorize future sanctions for sectors of the Russian economy. The president predicted these measures could have an effect on the global economy. (The Associated Press) 
 
 Obama added that he “signed a new executive order today that gives us the authority to impose sanctions not just on individuals but on key sectors of the Russian economy.” He did not immediately elaborate on which sectors might be targeted, but he noted: “This is not our preferred outcome. These sanctions would not only have a significant impact on the Russian economy, but could also be disruptive to the global economy.” 
 
 A fact sheet released by the Treasury Department listed 20 individuals and the Bank Rossiya as targets of the additional sanctions. Eleven people — including seven Russians — were named on a sanctions list issued earlier this week. 
 
 The individuals and the bank are being punished in connection with the annexation of Crimea. The new executive order that Obama signed separately authorizes the Treasury, if Obama so decides in the future, to impose sanctions against additional Russian entities — which he described as constituting key sectors of the economy — in the event that Russia takes further action such as invading the rest of Ukraine. 
 
 In Crimea, Ukrainian troops continued to face threats Thursday, as a group of armed men boarded a Ukrainian ship in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol. 
 
 Vladislav Seleznyov, a Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman, said about 20 gunmen boarded the anti-submarine corvette Ternopol shortly after sunset Thursday and seized it, using flash grenades. There were no reported injuries. 
 
 Among those on the new sanctions list are government and business leaders who have been close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, some for many years. They include some of the richest men in Russia, as well as one Russian who is in the oil-trade business in Switzerland. 
 
 Connections to St. Petersburg, Putin’s home town, abound. The list targets several of the business leaders who have profited the most during Putin’s years in power through their connections to him. 
 
 The list includes key officials such as Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of the lower house of parliament, and Sergei Ivanov, head of the presidential administration, as well as influential Russians in the banking and business communities. Among them is Yuri Kovalchuk, an old Putin friend from St. Petersburg who is known as “Putin’s banker.” 
 
 Kovalchuk and another person on the list, Putin aide Andrei Fursenko, are owners of Bank Rossiya, the sanctioned bank. 
 
 Bank Rossiya was described as having $10 billion in assets and as handling financial transactions for many senior Russian officials. 
 
 Long-time Putin associates Arkady and Boris Rotenberg also were named. A senior U.S. official pointed out that the St. Petersburg-based brothers were close to the center of power, receiving $7 billion in contracts connected to the Sochi Olympics. 
 
 The senior Obama administration official described the targets as “senior government officials, cronies and a crony bank.” 
 
 Briefing reporters Thursday after Obama’s speech, the official took a stern tone. “We saw some bluster earlier in the week that sanctions would have no impact. I would suggest if they have any interest in doing business outside the U.S., they will have difficulty doing so.” 
 
 The bank will be frozen out of the dollar, and correspondent accounts with U.S. banks will be terminated, the official said, adding that sanctioned individuals “will be prevented from operating around the world to the greatest extent possible.” 
 
 The other Americans banned from entering Russia are Caroline Atkinson, deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs; presidential aides Daniel Pfeiffer and Benjamin Rhodes; Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Sen. Daniel Coats (R-Ind.). 
 
 “We have warned repeatedly that using sanctions is a double-edged sword and will hit the United States back,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site. 
 
 “Washington has been repeatedly assured that it is unacceptable and counterproductive to talk with our country in such a way,” it said. “However, the U.S. seems to continue believing blindly in the efficiency of such methods, taken from the arsenal of the past, and does not want to admit the obvious — in complete accordance with international laws and the U.N. charter, Crimean residents voted democratically for rejoining Russia. This decision can be liked or not, but it concerns reality, which has to be taken into account.” 
 
 The statement added: “There should be no doubts — we will respond adequately to every hostile attack.” 
 
 Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State John F. Kerry spoke again by phone Thursday about Ukraine, and Lavrov said the United States must stop “condoning” the activities of the right-wing Ukrainian group Right Sector and the Svoboda party, the ministry said in a separate statement. 
 
 “Lavrov stressed that the decision on Crimea’s reunification with Russia reflected the expression of the will of the absolute majority of its people, that it may not be reviewed and must be respected,” the statement said. Lavrov, it said, complained about “ongoing violence” by “ultranationalist and extremist forces,” who he claimed were targeting businessmen, journalists, dissenters, Russian speakers and “our compatriots.” 
 
 Responding to his inclusion in the ban, McCain said in a statement: “I guess this means my spring break in Siberia is off, my Gazprom stock is lost, and my secret bank account in Moscow is frozen. Nonetheless, I will never cease my efforts on behalf of the freedom, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea.” 
 
 Menendez said in a statement: “President Putin’s military invasion and annexation of Crimea is brutal, totally unacceptable, and sadly returns us to a period of Cold War aggression and hostility. It doesn’t have to be this way, but if standing up for the Ukrainian people, their freedom, their hard earned democracy, and sovereignty means I’m sanctioned by Putin, so be it.” 
 
 The vote in Russia’s lower house, the State Duma, to annex Crimea was 443 to 1. The measure needed 300 votes to pass. 
 
 The lone Duma dissenter, Ilya Ponomaryov, later tweeted, “The best intentions have led us to a big political mistake: I vote against the war.” 
 
 [Meet the one Russian lawmaker who voted against annexing Crimea.] 
 
 The bill is scheduled to be taken up Friday by the upper house, the Federation Council, where expected approval will make Crimea officially part of the country under Russian law — despite the insistence of the United States, Europe and others that it remain part of Ukraine. 
 
 In Crimea on Thursday, Ukraine’s influence over the disputed region seemed visibly on the wane, with military bases now under the Russian flag and Ukrainian banks closed for the time being. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it was preparing a plan to withdraw its remaining troops and officials. 
 
 Still, there were hints of a potentially durable conflict, as both Europe and the United States pledged further financial sanctions against Russia, and officials in Kiev and Moscow talked of trade, visa and other penalties they might impose against each other. 
 
 Lavrov, testifying Thursday in favor of the bill in the Duma, warned Ukraine not to seize property located within its borders of the Russian state-owned energy giant, Gazprom. He said such a move would have negative consequences for Ukraine. 
 
 “I think that it is in no one’s interests to begin this battle,” he said. “This could lead to a quite complex chain reaction, from which I suppose Ukraine will not benefit.” 
 
 Lavrov said that he thought Ukraine’s threat to leave the Commonwealth of Independent States, a post-Soviet grouping, is essentially a “propaganda” ploy, but he added that Russia will do nothing to stop it if that’s what Ukraine wishes. 
 
 However, Russia’s sanitary service almost simultaneously announced that Ukrainian livestock will be barred from Russia if the country leaves the CIS. 
 
 The Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site that it regrets Ukraine’s intention to require Russian visitors to obtain visas. 
 
 United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday and said he was deeply concerned about the Crimean crisis. 
 
 “We highly appreciate your efforts,” Putin said, before they began private talks. 
 
 European leaders on Thursday weighed additional sanctions against Russia, a day after Ukrainian troops were forced to abandon their bases in Crimea and prepared to evacuate the peninsula. 
 
 German Chancellor Angela Merkel told her parliament that Europe would expand the number of individuals punished with travel bans and asset freezes for their role in the Russian takeover of Crimea. But as European Union leaders prepared to meet in Brussels, there was little sign they would impose the sort of broader financial penalties that many analysts see as necessary to change Russian behavior. 
 
 U.S. officials have repeatedly emphasized their close consultation with Europe, and the announcement of initial sanctions early this week was coordinated with the allies. 
 
 The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on 21 Russian and Ukrainian officials, and the United States announced sanctions the same day against 11 people — seven top Russian government officials and politicians and four Ukrainians, including ousted president Viktor Yanukovych and two Crimean separatist leaders. 
 
 Speaking from Brussels, interim Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Thursday that he did not believe Russia would stop at Crimea. “It’s crystal clear for us that Russian authorities will try to move further and escalate the situation in southern and eastern Ukraine,” Yatsenyuk told Bloomberg News. 
 
 In Crimea, meanwhile, the Ukrainian presence continued to ebb. Ukrainian banks were closed Thursday, with signs taped to the doors saying they no longer have authority to operate in Crimea because they are on foreign territory. They said they are making arrangements to reopen and that depositors will not lose their savings. 
 
 Leonid Polyakov, Ukraine’s deputy minister of defense, said a plan has been prepared to evacuate military families from Crimea, but the troops themselves have not yet been given orders. 
 
 Ukraine said Wednesday it would seek U.N. support in declaring Crimea a demilitarized zone so that its troops could be relocated to Ukraine proper, effectively acknowledging that it had lost the region despite vows it would never cede to Russia. 
 
 In the announcement, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Parubiy, said his country would hold joint military exercises with the United States and Britain. He did not provide details, but a Pentagon spokesman in Washington said the annual multinational exercises were previously planned and will be held in the summer. 
 
 Parubiy also said Ukraine would leave the Commonwealth of Independent States, an alliance of 11 nations that were part of the Soviet Union before it broke up 
 
 in 1991. It is led by Russia, and Ukraine’s departure echoes steps taken by Georgia after two of its territories broke away in 2008 with the support of Moscow. 
 
 Russia’s storming of the Ukrainian military facilities in Crimea, and the positioning of forces outside another base, served as a tense reminder of how unresolved the situation remains in Crimea even as Russia declares its absorption of the region an established fact. Ukrainian troops largely gave way without resistance Wednesday, though tension may be building as they face an apparent choice of becoming Russian soldiers and sailors, or moving from Crimea and maintaining their allegiance to Kiev. 
 
 Russia is also unlikely to agree to the terms of a demilitarized zone, which would require it to withdraw troops from the region while Ukraine pulls its forces out. 
 
 Russia moved swiftly to step up its occupation of Crimea after Putin on Tuesday signed a treaty annexing the peninsula. Its most significant action was the takeover of the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol, where pro-Russia militias and Russian regular troops stormed the base and checked Ukrainians at the gate as they left toting bags of personal belongings. 
 
 The Ukrainian rear admiral in command, Serhiy Haiduk, was taken out of the compound in a car, and Ukrainian officials charged that the Russians had taken him hostage. 
 
 Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov on Wednesday gave Crimean authorities three hours to release Haiduk and stop harassing the Ukrainian military or face “appropriate measures.” The deadline passed without apparent action. 
 
 However, Haiduk was released Thursday morning, according to Turchynov’s office. Several pro-Ukrainian activists also were set free. 
 
 Branigin reported from Washington. Karen DeYoung in Washington and Carol Morello in Crimea contributed to this report.
– The US won't be sending troops to Crimea anytime soon. President Obama effectively ruled out a military response to Russia's land grab yesterday, USA Today reports. "We do not need to trigger an actual war with Russia," he told KSDK-TV, in an interview ostensibly about raising the minimum wage. "The Ukrainians don't want that, nobody would want that." But Obama said to expect "even more disruptive economic actions that could have a significant impact on the Russian economy." In other Ukraine news: Russian forces freed Ukraine's captured navy commander today, after Ukraine demanded the release of all hostages in Crimea, CNN reports. If they weren't freed by 9pm, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov threatened to take "technical and technological" action—meaning, likely, turning off Crimea's utilities. Russia's defense minister asked Crimea to free the hostages. Even though Ukraine is reportedly pulling troops from the region, its parliament issued a declaration today saying that it still considered Crimea part of the Ukraine, and that "the Ukrainian people will never, under no circumstances, stop fighting for the liberation of Crimea from the occupants." European leaders met today in Sevastopol to discuss further punitive action against Russia, with Angela Merkel saying the EU would issue more travel bans and asset freezes against Russians, the Washington Post reports. But analysts say the measures aren't strong enough to change Russian behavior. Ukraine, too, is taking only restrained steps. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk yesterday backed off Kiev's threat to impose a visa regime, saying it would likely be ineffective, and would inconvenience many Ukrainians. Russia, meanwhile, pulled out a threat of its own. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia might revise its stance on Iran's nuclear program in response to US and EU sanctions. "We wouldn't like to use these talks as an element of the game of raising the stakes," he said, according to the AP. "But if they force us into that, we will take retaliatory measures."