Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Crimea was "provocative and unnecessary," the United States says according to dpa. "Crimea belongs to Ukraine, and we don't recognize ... the illegal and illegitimate steps by Russia in that regard," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday morning, she said, but the discussion didn't touch on Putin's visit to Crimea. Kerry spoke with Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk about continued steps to support de-escalation. Yatsenyuk provided an update on the security situation on the ground, efforts to maintain calm and preparations for the election.
