ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said intense discussions will follow in the coming days to resolve the crisis in Crimea.
Appearing a news conference in Paris on Wednesday (March 5), Kerry said he and his counterparts from Russia, France, Germany, Great Britain and Ukraine met in what he described as the best way bring de-escalation to Ukraine's mainly Russian-speaking province.
"Today, I believe we initiated a process that over the next couple of days, we hope, can bring us to that de-escalation and to a path for the protection of the integrity of that country," Kerry said.
In his new conference, Kerry reiterated the U.S. position in condemning the presence of Russian troops in Crimea, calling it a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.
Russia has denied having troops there, recognizing armed troops there as "self-defense" groups whose orders do not come from Moscow.
Kerry said the west continues to weigh sanctions b
