• A day of diplomacy failed to yield visible result, as Russian forces held their positions in Crimea and impassioned crowds on both sides joined in tense confrontations in multiple cities in Crimea and beyond.

• A government building in Donetsk in southeastern Ukraine changed hands from police to pro-Russian demonstrators. In Sevastopol, Russian forces blocked a Ukrainian naval vessel.

• A UN envoy to Crimea was ejected by a pro-Russian crowd from Simferopol. The reportedly hostile crowd surrounded the envoy’s car and temporarily cornered him in a cafe. International monitors in Crimea were the target of protests.

• Europe announced a $15bn aid package for Ukraine, atop a $1bn aid package announced by the US administration and supported by Congress.

• Doubts about the resolve of Europe to put together a sanctions package against Russia were dismissed by diplomats. European Union leaders were to meet Thursday to make a decision on sanctions. More on sanctions here.

• The United States failed to bring the Ukrainian and Russian foreign minister face-to-face through a day of meetings in Paris, but US secretary of state John Kerry said “concrete” progress had been made and all sides had agreed to pursue a diplomatic solution.

• Nato announced a full review of all cooperation with Russia, suspended planning for a Nato-Russian joint operation to escort Syria chemical weapons and suspended staff-level civilian or military meetings with Russia.

• The Pentagon said the US military was doubling its commitment of aircraft to joint NATO-policing missions in the Baltics.