US accuses Russia
Earlier, US President Barack Obama warned Russia against support for further action by armed pro-Russian groups.
"What I have said consistently is that each time Russia takes these kinds of steps that are designed to destabilise Ukraine and violate their sovereignty, that there are going to be consequences," he said.
Reports say that the White House is considering a package of non-lethal aid for the Ukrainian military. This may include clothing and medical supplies.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's military operation against separatists has hit obstacles.
Called an "anti-terrorist" operation by the Kiev government, it started on Tuesday and is designed to dislodge pro-Russia gunmen from local authority buildings.
Pro-Russian activists want referendums on greater autonomy for the south-east or the right to join the Russian Federation.
But in several districts, Ukrainian troops met vehement opposition on Wednesday from pro-Russia militants.
In the city of Kramatorsk, six military vehicles were commandeered by gunmen, who disarmed the Ukrainian soldiers and sent some of them home on buses.
And just south of Sloviansk a column of 14 Ukrainian military vehicles was surrounded by local civilians and pro-Russian gunmen, who made the Ukrainian troops unload their magazines and drive off.
The foreign ministers of the US, EU, Ukraine and Russia have started talks in Geneva.
The US and the EU want an end to the occupations in eastern Ukraine and for the estimated 40,000-strong Russian forces massed near the Ukrainian border to pull back.
The US and Russian foreign affairs chiefs - John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov - met in Geneva on Thursday
Pro-Russian gunmen seized Ukrainian military vehicles and took them to Sloviansk
A US official stressed that Russia must "take this opportunity to de-escalate" or face a tightening of sanctions.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Deshchytsya, called on Russia "not to support terrorist activities in eastern Ukraine."
Russia, which strongly opposed the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in February, has proposed a new constitution which devolves more power to the regions.
Expectations for the talks are low, says the BBC's Gavin Hewitt in Geneva.
Russia's stance has particularly alarmed Nato member countries with large Russian-speaking minorities, such as Latvia and Estonia.
So Nato announced on Wednesday that it was beefing up its eastern members' defences.
In Brussels, Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen promised "more planes in the air, more ships on the water, more readiness on the land".
Are you in eastern Ukraine? What is the situation like where you are? You can email your experiences to kingsimeo@gmail.com using the subject line 'Eastern Ukraine'.
Follow @LaNUBlog & @Hon_KingSIMEO on Twitter for Updates
"What I have said consistently is that each time Russia takes these kinds of steps that are designed to destabilise Ukraine and violate their sovereignty, that there are going to be consequences," he said.
Reports say that the White House is considering a package of non-lethal aid for the Ukrainian military. This may include clothing and medical supplies.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's military operation against separatists has hit obstacles.
Called an "anti-terrorist" operation by the Kiev government, it started on Tuesday and is designed to dislodge pro-Russia gunmen from local authority buildings.
Pro-Russian activists want referendums on greater autonomy for the south-east or the right to join the Russian Federation.
But in several districts, Ukrainian troops met vehement opposition on Wednesday from pro-Russia militants.
In the city of Kramatorsk, six military vehicles were commandeered by gunmen, who disarmed the Ukrainian soldiers and sent some of them home on buses.
And just south of Sloviansk a column of 14 Ukrainian military vehicles was surrounded by local civilians and pro-Russian gunmen, who made the Ukrainian troops unload their magazines and drive off.
The foreign ministers of the US, EU, Ukraine and Russia have started talks in Geneva.
The US and the EU want an end to the occupations in eastern Ukraine and for the estimated 40,000-strong Russian forces massed near the Ukrainian border to pull back.
The US and Russian foreign affairs chiefs - John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov - met in Geneva on Thursday
Pro-Russian gunmen seized Ukrainian military vehicles and took them to Sloviansk
A US official stressed that Russia must "take this opportunity to de-escalate" or face a tightening of sanctions.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Deshchytsya, called on Russia "not to support terrorist activities in eastern Ukraine."
Russia, which strongly opposed the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in February, has proposed a new constitution which devolves more power to the regions.
Expectations for the talks are low, says the BBC's Gavin Hewitt in Geneva.
Russia's stance has particularly alarmed Nato member countries with large Russian-speaking minorities, such as Latvia and Estonia.
So Nato announced on Wednesday that it was beefing up its eastern members' defences.
In Brussels, Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen promised "more planes in the air, more ships on the water, more readiness on the land".
Are you in eastern Ukraine? What is the situation like where you are? You can email your experiences to kingsimeo@gmail.com using the subject line 'Eastern Ukraine'.
Follow @LaNUBlog & @Hon_KingSIMEO on Twitter for Updates
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