Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption David Cameron: "There's not going to be a G8 summit this year in Russia" 
 
 The G8 summit will not take place in Russia this year, UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said. 
 
 Speaking in the Netherlands, Mr Cameron said it was "absolutely clear" the planned June meeting of world leaders in the Russian resort of Sochi would not happen owing to events in Ukraine. 
 
 The EU and US have imposed sanctions on Russian officials after Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. 
 
 Moscow has also been warned of further action if it does not change course. 
 
 The announcement that the Sochi meeting had been effectively cancelled came after Russian troops seized control of the last major military base in Crimea. 
 
 Mr Cameron, US President Barack Obama and other G8 leaders are attending a nuclear co-operation summit in The Hague, to which Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited. 
 
 'Illegal annexation' 
 
 "We should be clear there's not going to be a G8 summit in Russia," Mr Cameron said, urging Russia to "change course". 
 
 The G7 leaders plus EU representatives issued a declaration after their meeting in The Hague noting that "international law prohibits the acquisition of part or all of another state's territory through coercion or force". 
 
 Image copyright AFP 
 
 "To do so violates the principles upon which the international system is built," they said. 
 
 "We condemn the illegal referendum held in Crimea in violation of Ukraine's constitution. We also strongly condemn Russia's illegal attempt to annex Crimea in contravention of international law and specific international obligations. We do not recognise either." 
 
 Russia's actions would have "significant consequences", they continued. 
 
 "We remain ready to intensify actions including coordinated sectoral sanctions that will have an increasingly significant impact on the Russian economy, if Russia continues to escalate this situation. 
 
 "Russia has a clear choice to make. Diplomatic avenues to de-escalate the situation remain open, and we encourage the Russian government to take them." 
 
 UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said there was an increasing recognition that European leaders wanted to stop relying so heavily on Russian oil and gas. 
 
 The G7 had to be prepared to take more far-reaching measures in response to the developments, he said. 
 
 The UK and other G8 nations suspended their preparations for the Sochi summit last month as the crisis in Ukraine intensified and hinted that they could meet without Russia. 
 
 Several G8 members have also called for Russia's membership of the powerful body to be suspended. 
 
 The BBC's Europe correspondent Matthew Price said the end of the Sochi summit was a recognition of Russia's isolation on the global stage as a result of what it had done in Ukraine. 
 
 The US, UK and other countries, he added, were making clear they did not want Russia "in their club" unless it reconsidered its actions in Crimea. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption William Hague: "The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine has been violated" 
 
 The UK has pulled out of preparatory talks for the G8 summit because of Russia's build-up of troops in the Ukrainian region of Crimea. 
 
 The summit is due to be hosted by Russia in the city of Sochi. 
 
 Prince Edward, patron of the British Paralympic Association, has cancelled a visit to Russia for the Paralympic Games in Sochi, on government advice. 
 
 Downing Street said David Cameron and Barack Obama had spoken and agreed that Russia's actions were "unacceptable". 
 
 A spokesman said: "The prime minister and President Obama spoke at 9pm tonight [Sunday]. 
 
 "They agreed that Russia's actions were completely unacceptable. They agreed on the urgent need for de-escalation and for Russia to engage in a dialogue directly with Ukraine. 
 
 "They agreed there must be 'significant costs' to Russia if it did not change course on Ukraine." 
 
 The spokesman said Mr Cameron was also speaking to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite on Sunday evening. 
 
 Mr Cameron said British ministers would also now not attend the Paralympic Games. 
 
 British Paralympic Association chief executive Tim Hollingsworth told BBC Sport: "We completely understand the decisions that have been taken that mean UK ministers and His Royal Highness The Prince Edward will not attend the Sochi Paralympic Games. 
 
 "We are grateful for their continued full support for the British team to compete in Sochi. That remains our prime focus, the team are all in Sochi as of tomorrow [Monday] and training hard." 
 
 A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Cameron remained "fully supportive of our Paralympic athletes' participation at Sochi". 
 
 Earlier, Foreign Secretary William Hague flew to Kiev for talks with Ukraine's new leaders, amid rising tension with Russia. 
 
 Ukrainian acting president Olexander Turchynov has ordered a full mobilisation of Ukrainian military forces. 
 
 Mr Hague has said he will reiterate UK support for Ukraine's sovereignty. 
 
 The West has responded to the Ukraine crisis with frenetic diplomatic activity. But beyond strong words of condemnation, real pressure on Moscow appears muted. William Hague said his overwhelming priority was to calm tensions. He urged Russia to speak directly to the Ukrainians. In terms of sanctions, he said Britain and others would suspend preparatory meetings of the G8 summit in June. Mr Hague seemed to want to appear even-handed. He also had a firm message for the Kiev government - calling on them not to respond to provocation and to protect the Russian speaking minorities to avoid any pretext for Russia to expand its military ambitions. It looks doubtful there are any more forceful options which the West would be prepared to use to loosen Russia's hold on Crimea. NATO has no legally binding alliance with Ukraine. So even though its secretary general said today that Russia's actions were threatening peace and security in Europe, military intervention is not on the cards. 
 
 Before leaving for Kiev, Mr Hague said: "We have to recognise the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine has been violated and this cannot be the way to conduct international affairs. 
 
 "And so, in addition to calling yesterday's emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, the United Kingdom will join other G8 countries this week in suspending our co-operation under the G8, which Russia chairs this year, including the meetings this week for the preparation of the G8 summit." 
 
 He said Britain would keep its approach to further G8 meetings under review. 
 
 In Brussels, Nato held emergency talks about Russia's move to take control of Crimea. 
 
 Just before the meeting, Nato secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia's troop deployments violated the principles of the United Nations charter and threatened peace and security in Europe. 
 
 "Russia must stop its military activities and its threats," he said. 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption British-based Ukrainians staged a protest outside Russia's embassy in London 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption The protest was occasionally noisy but remained peaceful 
 
 Image copyright PA Image caption Some protesters aimed their criticism at President Putin personally 
 
 Image caption Many also gathered near the Ukrainian embassy 
 
 Image caption They congregated around a statue of St Volodymyr , who is credited with introducing Ukraine to Christianity 
 
 The Ukrainian government has said it will seek the help of US and UK leaders to guarantee its security. 
 
 The interim prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said Russia's military moves amounted to a "declaration of war". 
 
 Crimea key facts Autonomous republic within Ukraine 
 
 Most residents speak Russian and identify as ethnic Russians 
 
 Some others are anti-Russian 
 
 Russia leases naval base in Crimean city of Sevastopol 
 
 Moscow has deployed its troops outside the base and sent extra troops from Russia Why Crimea is so dangerous 
 
 On Saturday, President Obama held a 90-minute telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to pull his forces back to bases in Crimea. 
 
 Mr Putin says Russia reserves the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers in Ukraine. 
 
 The Foreign Office says Mr Hague will make clear the UK's support for Ukraine's new government, which was formed after the ousting of former president Viktor Yanukovych in a popular uprising last month. 
 
 His removal from power followed four months of street protests that culminated in bloody clashes between demonstrators and security forces. 
 
 On Saturday, Mr Hague said the UK would work with international partners to "ensure that reforms by Ukraine are matched by international willingness to provide economic support". 
 
 From the scene: An expat's view David* is a British citizen living with his Ukrainian wife and three-year-old daughter in Simferopol, Crimea. It would appear that trains are no longer running, so our only option is a flight out, now that the airspace has been reopened. It is clear that any foreign citizen must remain at home. Apparently an American man was severely beaten only yesterday, without any real provocation. From our perspective, it is clear that Russian authorities are firmly in control here. We can only pray that Ukrainian forces do not rise to the provocation and begin a conflict, despite the injury to the integrity of the country. We would urge William Hague to push this point home to them. The news that reserve forces have been called up is therefore deeply discouraging. * David is not his real name. He spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity 
 
 He said Britain would also help Ukraine recover corruptly acquired assets. 
 
 BBC world affairs correspondent Emily Buchanan said Mr Hague was likely to urge the Ukrainian government not to do anything to provoke Russia, in order not to give Moscow a pretext for further military action. 
 
 Mr Hague said it was also important that Russia spoke to the Ukrainian authorities directly. 
 
 Russia, which rejects the legitimacy of Ukraine's new leaders, has so far refused to do so. 
 
 Former Conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said the situation was the "most serious crisis since the end of the Cold War". 
 
 "This needs to be a defining moment and Putin needs to understand this... in the West's relationship with Russia," he said. 
 
 A former British ambassador to Moscow, Sir Tony Brenton, said Mr Hague must "damp down" the tension between Russia and Ukraine. 
 
 He said: "[President Putin] has just seen his man, in effect, [Viktor] Yanukovych, overthrown by what he sees as a Western instigated revolt. He [Putin] is determined to maintain Russian influence in Ukraine as a whole, and he has now taken Crimea... hostage." 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Former British ambassador to Moscow, Sir Tony Brenton, says Crimea has been "taken hostage" by President Putin 
 
 Labour leader Ed Miliband said there could be "no justification" for Russian military action in Ukraine. 
 
 "I believe diplomatic and economic pressure we can put on Russia is the best hope we can have for what everyone wants to see, which is the de-escalation of this crisis," he said. 
 
 In London, hundreds of Ukrainians staged two protests, one near the Russian embassy and the other at the Ukrainian embassy. 
 
 The demonstrators chanted slogans and held up banners that said "Hands off Ukraine". Similar protests were held in other European capitals. 
 
 The Foreign Office is advising against all travel to Crimea, and urging British nationals in Crimea to leave. 
 
 It said train and bus routes out of the peninsula were still operating, but it did not advise British nationals to try to leave by air from Simferopol until the situation had become more stable. ||||| (CNN) -- Cheers in Moscow. Outrage in Kiev. Bloodshed in Simferopol. 
 
 Tuesday saw Russian President Vladimir Putin announce the annexation of Crimea, two days after voters in that semiautonomous territory approved a hastily called referendum on separating from Ukraine. 
 
 Putin told a joint session of Russia's Parliament that the nearly 97% of Crimean residents who voted to join Russia over the weekend was "an extremely convincing figure." 
 
 "In our hearts, we know Crimea has always been an inalienable part of Russia," he said. 
 
 Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called it "a robbery on an international scale," one that Kiev will never accept. 
 
 "One country has come and temporarily stolen part of of the territory of an independent country," he said. "It will be difficult to find a quick resolution to this problem, but Russia is now isolated by the whole international community." 
 
 And after a member of its military was killed, another wounded and more captured when masked gunmen seized their base near the Crimean regional capital, Simferopol, Ukraine's defense ministry authorized its forces to open fire. 
 
 Yatsenyuk warned that the crisis was shifting "from political to the military form, and the blame is on the Russian military." 
 
 Crimea, which has an ethnic Russian majority, has long been a semiautonomous region within Ukraine. It has had its own Parliament, but the Ukrainian government had veto power over its actions. 
 
 After the revolt that forced pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from office in February, Russian troops poured into the Crimean Peninsula, effectively cutting it off in support of a pro-Russian government that took power in Simferopol. 
 
 Putin said Tuesday that Russia had to act as Ukraine's new government, backed by the United States and European powers, prepared "to seize the state through terror and murders." 
 
 "The main executors of this were nationalists, Russia-phobes and anti-Semites," he said. "Those people define what is happening today in Ukraine." 
 
 But international observers have said Moscow saw its chance to annex a strategic territory, one that was transferred to Ukraine in the Soviet era and which still hosts the home port of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. 
 
 Ukraine's interim President, Oleksandr Turchynov, told reporters that Putin is "mimicking the fascists of the last century" by annexing Crimea. 
 
 "The political leadership of Russia will have to answer before the whole world for crimes they are committing today in our country," Turchynov said. 
 
 Cameron: Annexation sends 'a chilling message' 
 
 Putin declared Tuesday that "We have not used our armed forces in Crimea," despite what has been stated by international observers and the government of Kiev. He said the 22,000 Russian troops in Crimea did not enter during the current crisis, but "were already there," in accordance with previous international negotiations. 
 
 Russian forces were allowed in Crimea under a treaty that allowed the Black Sea Fleet to be based there, but the movements of its forces within Crimea are supposed to be agreed upon with Kiev. 
 
 Putin praised those forces for avoiding bloodshed, but the tensions appear to have boiled over into violence Tuesday. 
 
 Masked gunmen killed a member of Ukraine's military, wounded another and arrested the remaining staff of Ukraine's military topographic and navigation directorate at Simferopol, Defense Ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov told CNN. 
 
 After that, the Defense Ministry authorized its forces in Crimea to use weapons "to protect and preserve the life of Ukrainian soldiers," according to a statement posted on its website. 
 
 Petro Poroshenko, a Ukrainian member of Parliament and former foreign minister, said Tuesday that his country stands at "the beginning of a very dangerous conflict, and we should do our best to stop this process." 
 
 "Several weeks ago, we had a guarantee that nothing [would] happen with the Crimea. Several weeks ago we had [a situation] that there is not any military presence on Ukrainian territory, including the Crimea," he told CNN's "Amanpour " program. Now, he said, "I strongly believe that this is not only Ukrainian territory is now threatened." 
 
 "Now under attack can be any country in the European Union, including other parts of Ukraine," said Poroshenko, a billionaire and leading potential candidate for president. "That's why we should think that it can never happen again." 
 
 U.S. and EU officials imposed sanctions on more than two dozen Russian and Crimean officials Monday and have urged Russia to avoid escalating the crisis, but Moscow has ignored those calls. 
 
 Tuesday's annexation brought a new round of condemnation from the West, with British Prime Minister David Cameron saying it sends "a chilling message across the continent of Europe." 
 
 "It is completely unacceptable for Russia to use force to change borders, on the basis of a sham referendum held at the barrel of a Russian gun," Cameron said in a statement issued by Downing Street. "President Putin should be in no doubt that Russia will face more serious consequences, and I will push European leaders to agree further EU measures when we meet on Thursday." 
 
 Russia faces 'more than just sanctions,' Biden says 
 
 The G7 group of industrialized nations had already suspended preparations for a planned G8 summit in the Russian city of Sochi. Now, U.S. President Barack Obama has invited his counterparts from the other G7 countries and the European Union to a meeting of next week on the margins of a nuclear security summit in The Hague, U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said. 
 
 The planned meeting comes amid speculation that Russia will get kicked out of the G8 -- which comprises the G7 countries plus Russia -- because of its actions in Crimea. 
 
 In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry criticized "this rise of a kind of nationalism that is exercised unilaterally, to the exclusion of the international legal process." 
 
 "That's what we have worked hard to avoid ever since World War II," Kerry said. He acknowledged that Russia has interests in Crimea and "an enormous historical connection to Ukraine," but said he was "really struck and somewhat surprised and even disappointed" by Putin's case for annexing the territory. 
 
 "With all due respect, it just didn't (jibe) with reality or what's happening on the ground," Kerry said. "The President may have his version of history, but I believe that he and Russia, for what they have done, are on the wrong side of history." 
 
 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the "so-called referendum" and the acceptance of Crimea to the Russian Federation "goes against international law," while French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and a French delegation have postponed a planned visit to Moscow because of the Ukrainian situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. 
 
 And U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, dispatched to reassure NATO allies in Eastern Europe, said Russia faces "more than just sanctions" unless it abandons its "land grab" in Crimea. 
 
 "We're talking about Russia putting itself on a path that undermines long-term confidence and creates obstacles for its full participation in the global economy," Biden said after talks in Poland's capital, Warsaw. "That path that they've placed themselves on does nothing to help the next generation of Russians compete and succeed in a world that will be led by the most dynamic and open economies." 
 
 Condemnation abroad, cheers at home 
 
 But lawmakers in Moscow met Putin's address with regular and enthusiastic applause. The Russian leader accused the West of "double standards" and cynicism in its response to the Crimean crisis, citing Kosovo -- which split from Russia's historical ally Serbia over fierce objections from Belgrade -- as a precedent. 
 
 "It's absolutely in favor of their own interests -- black today, white tomorrow," he said. 
 
 Russia's Parliament is expected to vote on ratifying Crimea's accession to the Russian Federation by the end of the week. The speaker of Russia's upper house of Parliament, Valentina Matvineko, told state-run Russia-24 TV that the process of adding a new member to the Russian Federation "can be done rather promptly." 
 
 And hours after the annexation announcement, Putin appeared at a huge celebration on Red Square organized by his supporters -- a sign of his widespread popularity at home. An opinion poll by the Moscow-based Levada Center puts his approval rating at 72% -- the highest in more than three years, and the second-highest point of his presidency. The highest point came in 2008, during Russia's conflict with Georgia, another former Soviet republic. 
 
 "Putin in many senses, on many levels, crystallizes the Russian national consciousness," biographer Alexander Korobko told CNN. "For the past 100 years perhaps, we have never had a leader who would appeal to the Russian soul ... as much as Putin." 
 
 Most Russians and Crimeans feel Crimea "is coming back home," and a country that can produce "pretty much anything" has little fear of sanctions, he said. 
 
 "It is absolutely not in the U.S. interest to impose sanctions on Russia, because who will take American astronauts to space if not us Russians?" Korobko asked. 
 
 Crimea's vote: Was it legal? 
 
 Opinion: Obama can't have it both ways on Crimea 
 
 West's sanctions on Russia: Are they just for show? 
 
 Opinion: Putin won't stop at Crimea 
 
 CNN's Alla Eshchenko reported from Moscow and Matt Smith wrote in Atlanta. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark, Frederik Pleitgen, Nick Paton Walsh, Elena Sandreyev and Mick Krever contributed to this report. ||||| Story highlights Industrialized powers acted to penalize Russia over Crimea 
 
 Obama in the Netherlands says the U.S. and European allies united in imposing costs on Russia 
 
 Russian foreign minister downplays effect of losing G8 membership 
 
 U.S. will concentrate on diplomatic, economic moves against Moscow 
 
 President Barack Obama and other world leaders have decided to end Russia's role in the group of leading industrialized nations, the White House said Monday. 
 
 The move to suspend Russia's membership in the G8 is the latest direct response from major countries allied against Russia's annexation of Crimea. 
 
 "International law prohibits the acquisition of part or all of another state's territory through coercion or force," the statement said. "To do so violates the principles upon which the international system is built. We condemn the illegal referendum held in Crimea in violation of Ukraine's constitution. 
 
 "We also strongly condemn Russia's illegal attempt to annex Crimea in contravention of international law and specific international obligations." 
 
 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier in the day that being kicked out of G8 would be no big deal. 
 
 "G8 is an informal organization that does not give out any membership cards and, by its definition, cannot remove anyone," he said during a news conference. " All the economic and financial questions are decided in G20, and G8 has the purpose of existence as the forum of dialogue between the leading Western countries and Russia." 
 
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 Lavrov added that Russia was "not attached to this format and we don't see a great misfortune if it will not gather. Maybe, for a year or two, it will be an experiment for us to see how we live without it." 
 
 In a nod to political and economic reforms, the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy added Russia to their group in 1998 -- transforming it from the G7 to the G8. 
 
 An aide to British Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed to CNN that a group summit initially planned for June in Sochi, Russia, where the Winter Olympics were just held, is now off. 
 
 The United States and its allies in Europe are "united in imposing a cost on Russia for its actions so far," Obama said earlier in the Netherlands where he attended a nuclear security summit with other world leaders. 
 
 Western powers have imposed sanctions and other penalties against specific people in Russia close to President Vladimir Putin. 
 
 A senior Obama administration official, not speaking for full attribution, said Obama and other leaders agreed that further steps to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin could include sanctions on energy, banking and defense sectors -- all areas where Europe is deeply engaged economically with Russia. 
 
 Those additional sanctions could be prompted if Russia further escalates its incursion into Ukraine, which the official defined as sending troops beyond Crimea into the southern or eastern parts of the country. Violence in the contested peninsula could also trigger further sanctions. 
 
 While the official said further penetration of Ukraine by Russian troops remains the most immediate source of concern for the United States, other potential land grabs also worry the United States and its allies. 
 
 NATO has expressed concern Russia could attempt to reclaim a region of Moldova with Russian sympathies. 
 
 Obama has said a military incursion in Ukraine is off the table, and his advisers are hesitant to even frame the crisis in Ukraine as a bad '80s flashback -- Obama in one corner, Putin in the other. It's not "Rocky IV," as Secretary of State John Kerry said. 
 
 White House officials don't care to publicly muse about Putin's intentions. 
 
 National Security Adviser Susan Rice said the Russian President's actions speak for themselves. 
 
 The White House emphasis throughout the Russian occupation of Crimea has been "de-escalation." 
 
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 Asked whether the United States will provide military aid to Ukraine's woefully underfunded armed forces, administration officials cautioned that such assistance could inflame tensions. 
 
 "Our focus has been and remains on the economic and diplomatic instruments at this point," Rice said. "Our interest is not in seeing the situation escalate and devolve into hot conflict." 
 
 Lavrov met with Kerry on Monday and said Russia's action in Crimea was necessary. 
 
 "It was the necessity to protect Russians who live there and who lived there for centuries," he said in the news conference. "And when our partners compare Crimea to Kosovo, because in Kosovo a lot of blood was shed then its independence was proclaimed. So we have a question then: Is it necessary for the blood to be shed in Crimea to agree on the right of the people in Crimea for self-determination?" 
 
 While Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the United States are stepping up their calls to provide Ukraine with light arms and other military aid, administration officials have argued that sanctions put in place so far must be given time to take hold. 
 
 With an estimated 20,000 Russian troops on Ukraine's border, the question is whether Obama's use of soft power will deter Putin. 
 
 With little resistance, the Russian President could easily move into eastern Ukraine even as Obama seeks to isolate Moscow in meetings with European allies. It's a possibility not lost on senior administration officials. 
 
 House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican, argued the Russian leader is likely eying more opportunities in the coming days. 
 
 "(Putin) has put all the military units he would need to move into Ukraine on its eastern border and is doing exercises. We see him moving forces in the south in a position where they could take the southern region over to Moldova," Rogers said on NBC's "Meet the Press." 
 
 There are other approaches. Obama's former ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, urged the administration to intensify its policy of isolating Putin. 
 
 "Mr. Putin's Russia has no real allies. We must keep it that way," McFaul wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times. ||||| Story highlights "Russia needs Europe more than Europe needs Russia," Cameron says 
 
 Russia's President Vladimir Putin signs law allowing joining of Crimea to Russia 
 
 EU leaders and Ukraine's PM sign the political part of a Ukraine-EU trade deal 
 
 Tough U.S. and EU sanctions have been imposed on members of Putin's inner circle 
 
 Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk signed the political elements of a trade pact with the European Union on Friday, even as Russian lawmakers finalized annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. 
 
 The signing in Brussels signals Europe's solidarity with Ukraine -- and carries additional symbolic force because it was the decision by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in November to ditch the trade pact in favor of closer ties with Russia that triggered the protests that led to his ouster in February and spiraled into the current crisis. 
 
 It also comes a day after the European Union and the United States slapped sanctions on Russian lawmakers and businessmen; Russia responded with its own list of sanctions against a number of U.S. lawmakers and officials. 
 
 In another sign of defiance, Russian President Vladimir Putin, flanked by the speakers of both houses of Parliament, signed a treaty Friday finalizing the accession to Russia of the Crimea region and its port city of Sevastopol. 
 
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 The upper house unanimously approved ratification of the treaty a day after Russia's lower house of Parliament, the State Duma, passed it by an overwhelming margin. 
 
 The political crisis has been the biggest blow to Russia's relations with the West since the Cold War. 
 
 In a sign that Western sanctions are already weighing on Russian authorities, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Friday in Moscow that the government will have to pay more to borrow money, state news agency ITAR-Tass said. 
 
 Russia "will look at our oil and gas revenues. If the situation is like it is now, we will probably have to give up external borrowings and cut domestic ones," Siluanov said. 
 
 Yatsenyuk: EU speaking in one voice 
 
 Moscow has doggedly pursued its own course even as Western leaders have denounced its actions as violations of Ukraine's sovereignty and a breach of international law. 
 
 Though Russia insists that its actions are legitimate, Ukraine's interim government has said Kiev will never stop fighting for Crimea. 
 
 Human Rights Watch said in a statement Friday that it has concluded that the international law of occupation applies to Russian forces in Crimea. "The occupying party is ultimately responsible for violations of international law committed by local authorities or proxy forces," it said. 
 
 While in Brussels, Yatsenyuk held talks with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso. 
 
 He said Russia's ratification of the treaty annexing Crimea is less important than the EU trade pact he has signed with EU leaders. 
 
 "Frankly speaking, I don't care about Russia signing this deal; I care about Ukraine, Ukrainians and our European future," he said. "This deal covers more existential and most important issues, mainly security and defense cooperation." 
 
 Yatsenyuk said the European Union would "speak in one single and strong voice" to protect its values and defend Ukraine's territorial integrity. 
 
 Van Rompuy said the deal "shows our steadfast support for the course the people of Ukraine have courageously pursued." 
 
 EU travel bans, asset freezes 
 
 The European Union confirmed details of the sanctions against 12 Russian officials agreed to late Thursday at the EU Heads of State or Government summit. 
 
 Those targeted with travel bans and asset freezes include Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, as well as the chairwoman of the Russian upper house, Valentina Matvienko, and two Putin advisers. 
 
 "Sanctions are not a question of retaliation; they are a foreign policy tool," Van Rompuy said. "Our goal is to stop Russian action against Ukraine, to restore Ukraine's sovereignty, and to achieve this, we need a negotiated solution." 
 
 He said the European Union expected soon to finalize approval of the remaining parts of the deal, particularly its economic provisions. 
 
 British Prime Minister David Cameron said the European Commission will draw up further sanctions -- in finance, military and energy -- for use if the situation escalates. 
 
 "Europe is, I think, 25% or so reliant on Russian gas," he said. "But if you look at Gazprom's revenues, something like 50% of them come from Europe. So, you know, Russia needs Europe more than Europe needs Russia." 
 
 Cameron said the measures agreed to in Brussels will carry a cost for Crimea, whose goods would face heavy penalties and tariffs in Europe if they are shipped through Russia, not Ukraine. 
 
 EU leaders want to see an international observer mission in Crimea, preferably under the aegis of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe but, if not, sent by the European Union, Cameron said. 
 
 Ban: 'Deeply concerned' 
 
 A day after speaking with Putin in Moscow, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Friday in Kiev with acting President Oleksandr Turchynov, then told reporters he was "very deeply concerned" by the tensions in parts of Ukraine and between Kiev and Moscow. "These are some of the most traumatic and difficult times in the history of Ukraine," he said. 
 
 Ban urged a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to the crisis and said all parties should refrain from inflammatory actions and rhetoric. 
 
 U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic arrived Friday in Crimea for a two-day visit aimed at laying the groundwork for a U.N. human rights monitoring mission, the United Nations said. 
 
 He and a team were to meet with Crimean leaders, the head of the Crimean Tatar minority and others, including the families of Ukrainian servicemen, the United Nations said. 
 
 The United Nations and other organizations stand ready to assist with the country's elections, slated to be held May 25, Ban said. While in Kiev, he was also planning to meet with Yatsenyuk and other ministers and lawmakers. 
 
 In another sign of solidarity with Ukraine, France is offering to strengthen a NATO air-policing mission in the Baltic area by sending four jets, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Friday. 
 
 The offer, accepted by the Baltic states, was extended Friday as French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian traveled to Lithuania, Estonia and Poland, said Sacha Mandel, the minister's communication adviser. 
 
 His trip followed a visit to the Baltics this week by Vice President Joe Biden. 
 
 Putin's inner circle 
 
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 The U.S. sanctions announced Thursday target 20 people seen as close to Putin, as well as a bank, Rossiya, believed to serve the President and senior Russian officials. 
 
 Putin rejected the putative link. "I personally didn't have an account there, but I'll definitely open it on Monday," he said Friday, according to the Kremlin. 
 
 The individuals named by the U.S. Treasury include Putin allies in the Kremlin and in business. Among the 16 government officials 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 Russian 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. 
 
 Washington aid 
 
 In Washington, the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced a bill Friday that provides aid to Ukraine. 
 
 "The United States must stand with the people of Ukraine in the wake of Russia's attack on and occupation of Crimea," said ranking member Eliot Engel, D-New York, in a statement. "It sends a clear message to President Putin and his corrupt cronies that we will not tolerate Russian aggression." 
 
 The House had passed a loan-guarantee bill and a non-binding resolution calling for sanctions, but Friday's legislation proposes statutory language to put those sanctions into law. 
 
 President Barack Obama is to meet next week with other leaders of the so-called G7 group of industrialized nations, on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in the Netherlands. Russia has been excluded from the talks. 
 
 Obama signed an executive order that authorizes further sanctions on key sectors of the Russian economy if Moscow does not act to deescalate the situation. 
 
 Sanctions affect Russian markets 
 
 Washington had already announced sanctions Monday on 11 individuals; the European Union had imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people. 
 
 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," he said. "It will be noticed." 
 
 Markets were down Friday in Moscow, amid uncertainty in the business community. 
 
 The Moscow Interbank Curency Exchange, or MICEX index, fell more than 2% -- bringing its 2014 losses to 14%. The ruble rebounded after falling early in the day; it has lost about 10% since the start of the year. 
 
 In contrast, the markets and ruble had risen Monday, when the first round of sanctions was announced and did not appear to target those in Putin's inner circle. 
 
 The business community now appears to fear that Putin is on a collision course with the West, and that that could undermine its interests. 
 
 Russia's Foreign Ministry said Friday that it had asked Putin to draft countermeasures in response to the expanded Western sanctions. 
 
 On Thursday, Moscow imposed measures against nine U.S. officials and lawmakers, including House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sens. John McCain, Robert Menendez, Daniel Coats and Mary Landrieu, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
– The other seven members of the G8 are calling off the meeting Russia was supposed to host in Sochi in June, David Cameron revealed today. Cameron, President Obama, and the other leaders of the G7 nations—which is to say the G8 minus Russia—are holding an emergency meeting at the Hague today, on the sidelines of a nuclear summit. "There's not going to be a G8 summit in Russia," Cameron said, according to the BBC. "That's absolutely clear. … Frankly, it is Russia that needs to change course." If Russia doesn't change, the nations have hinted that more sanctions could be on the way—and that could be bad news for Russia. Some banks are predicting that the sanctions already have Russia headed toward recession. The Russian bank SMP has seen $258 million withdrawn since the US sanctioned it, according to Voice of America. Ordinary Russians feel it is they, not Vladimir Putin or his inner circle, who will be hurt most, USA Today reports. But the US might have a secret weapon; Bloomberg has a fascinating piece on a Russian billionaire currently being detained on a US warrant who might fork over crucial information on Gazprom that could really hurt Putin's inner circle.