"I think the situation is relatively clear, you need to see a return to barracks," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in Brussels, where ministers also froze preparations for the G-8 summit of major economies that is set for June in Sochi, Russia.
In Washington, Obama declared, "The strong condemnation that has proceeded from countries around the world indicates the degree to which Russia is on the wrong side of history."
"So there are really two paths that Russia can take at this point," Obama said. "Over time, this will be a costly proposition for Russia, and now is the time for them to consider whether they can serve their interests in a way that resorts to diplomacy as opposed to force.''
The West stopped far short of suggesting that its own military force might be used to push Putin's troops out of Crimea — even as Ukrainian officials reported that four Russian navy ships in Sevastopol's harbour had blocked two vessels controlled by Kiev.
Russia, too, tried to steer the world debate.
At a UN session in Geneva, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine should return to a February 21 agreement that sought to end months of unrest in Kiev by addressing an array of issues at the heart of the dispute between protesters and the government of then-President Viktor Yanukovych.
