The United States and the European Union agreed on Wednesday to work together to prepare possible tougher economic sanctions in response to Russia's behavior in Ukraine, including on the energy sector, and to make Europe less dependent on Russian gas.

• March 26, 2014

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he hoped the Crimea crisis would not harm cooperation with Russia on international efforts to destroy Syria's chemical weapons.

• March 24, 2014

Ukraine announced the evacuation of its troops and their families from Crimea on Monday, effectively acknowledging defeat in the face of Russian forces, who stormed one of the last remaining Ukrainian bases on the peninsula.

• March 24, 2014

Russia and the West drew a tentative line under the Ukraine crisis on Tuesday after U.S. President Barack Obama and his allies agreed to hold off on more damaging economic sanctions unless Moscow goes beyond the seizure of Crimea.

• March 24, 2014

Russia's annexation of Crimea underlines the need for the United States and the European Union to substantially deepen their economic ties, Washington's top trade official said on Saturday, opening the door to U.S. exports of natural gas to Europe.

• March 22, 2014

China and the European Union have reached a deal to end a dispute over European wine exports to China, the latest sign of improving ties and just days before China's president visits Europe.

• March 21, 2014

President Vladimir Putin signed laws completing Russia's annexation of Crimea on Friday as investors took fright at a U.S. decision to slap sanctions on his inner circle of money men and security officials.

• March 21, 2014

The most startling part of Washington's sanctions on Russian businessmen loyal to President Vladimir Putin may be a single sentence that contains an explosive allegation: that Putin himself profits from the world's No. 4 oil trading company, Gunvor.

• March 21, 2014