![PBS NewsHour show](https://d3dthqtvwic6y7.cloudfront.net/podcast-covers/000/026/914/small/pbs-newshour-podcast-pbs.jpg)
Summary: Speaking out for the first time since effectively taking over Crimea, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that region is gradually stabilizing, but he reserved the right to use force to protect ethnic Russians there. Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Kiev to pay tribute to protesters and announce a $1 billion aid package for the new government. Judy Woodruff reports.