As Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Kiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin pulls back his troops, claiming no military action is necessary in Ukraine. Here are the big stories you may have missed overnight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a very small press conference in which he stressed that he doesn't intend to make Crimea a part of Russia. However, he said he maintains the right to use military action if necessary, and he will do so according to international law. Putin also denied that the troops on the ground in the Crimea region are in fact Russian, pointing to the fact that their uniforms are unmarked. This contradicts several reports from journalists stationed in the area.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Kiev this morning to speak with the Ukrainian government. Kerry, who phoned acting President Turchynov on Saturday, has been vocal about the United States' support for Ukraine's new government, commending its leaders for "showing the utmost restraint in the face of the clear and present danger to the integrity of their state, and the assaults on their sovereignty." Kerry said unless Putin backs down in a big way, there will be "profound" effects on U.S.-Russian relations. Kerry is expected to pay his respects to protesters who died during the three-month-long clash.
The White House on Tuesday announced $1 billion in energy aid in economic package for Ukraine, the Associated Press reports. The subsidy comes amid fears of a Russian invasion in the country. The package also includes training for financial and election institution as well as anti-corruptions efforts. Meanwhile, the U.S. is considering swift economic sanctions against Russian leaders. Those could come as early as this week.
Earlier this morning, Putin ordered back to base thousands of Russian troops that have amassed along the Russia-Ukraine border over the past few days, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing the Kremlin’s press secretary. Although the move seems like a positive sign of avoiding a war, skeptics claim that the statement doesn't include the troops in Crimea, which is quickly becoming the epicenter of this conflict.
RT anchor Abby Martin spoke out against Russia's military action in Ukraine during broadcast on Monday. "Just because I work here, for RT, doesn't mean I don't have editorial independence and I can't stress enough how strongly I am against any military intervention in sovereign nations' affairs. What Russia did is wrong," she said at the end of RT's Breaking the Set. Martin's statement is a risky one for a network that has been accused of one-sided, pro-Russian coverage during the Ukrainian conflict.