US President Barack Obama has once again proposed a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine's crisis, during a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The proposals include direct talks between the Ukrainian and Russian governments, the deployment of international monitors to ensure the protection of human rights, the return of Russian forces to their bases in Crimea and international support for presidential elections in Ukraine in May.
In an hour-long conversation, Obama told Putin that Russia’s actions in Crimea were violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Obama administration announced visa bans and assets freeze on Thursday, against Russians and Ukrainians involved in what it called "Russia’s takeover of Crimea".
The announcement followed the suspension of trade and investment talks and military-to-military engagement with Russia.