Senior US diplomat on Russia sanctions

Senior US diplomat Victoria Nuland has told BBC HARDtalk the US and EU will look at increasing economic sanctions and isolation of Russia if it continues to "violate international law."

Asked if she thought Russia could live with the sanctions she said: "They are talking tough in Moscow, but the numbers tell a different story," citing examples of Russia spending billions of dollars propping up the rouble and the downgrading of Russia's credit rating by Standard & Poor to one notch above “junk” status.

Nuland added the US and the EU would not accept "the illegal occupation of Crimea."