EU split on how far to push Russia

EU leaders pressed Russia to start discussions with Ukraine within the next few days about withdrawing from Crimea or face asset freezes and visa bans.

However, the timeframe was not very clear with Taoiseach Enda Kenny saying that the negotiations should “deliver results in a very limited timeframe”.

Asked about the prospects of getting Russia out of Crimea, he said the situation was very complex, given the constitution of Crimea; the decision of the Crimean parliament to declare an independent state; and the referendum on whether Crimea should join Russia.