Washington has maintained its ‘stick policy’ towards Russia as the US president vows more sanctions. The statement was made by Barack Obama in a telephone call with French President Hollande.

      According to the readout available on the official website of the Whitehouse, “the Presidents underscored that Russia will face significant additional costs if it continues its provocative and destabilizing behavior.” You can read the full text here.

      Russia has sparked a wave of criticism after it incorporated Crimea into its territory following a referendum on the peninsula with a large ethnic Russian population.

      The US and the EU imposed a raft of sanctions on Russian officials and individuals with close ties to the Kremlin. The US also put space and military cooperation on hold, followed by some of its NATO allies, including the UK.