You noted that you raised this and asked the russian side to pull these forces back from the border. Did they agree to do so . If not, what reason did they give . Secondly, both sides have talked in recent weeks about the possibility of federalization in ukraine. Largely as a means of protecting the interests of the russian speaking population. But the russian side appears to have a far reaching concept of federalization in mind. One that would give the regions Veto Authority over national policies, even foreign policy. Did you make any headway tonight in narrowing the gap on this core issue . And what are the next steps . Thank you. Thank you very much, michael. As i said earlier, both sides made suggestions today on how we can deescalate the security as well as the political situation in and around ukraine. And, yes, we talked very seriously and at length about the impact of the massing of troops and the importance of including the drawdown and redeployment of some of those troops with respect to the process moving forward. We both made suggestions as to how that might be able to be achieved. And i will return to washington to consult with president obama about his choices with respect to that. But in the end, lets be clear, it is ukrainians who have to ultimately agree to or make any decisions with respect to the road ahead. Were trying to find a way to defuse this, deescalate it, provide a climate within which good negotiations can take place regarding the other issues. That brings me to the other issue that you raised, michael, about the question of federalization. I said in my opening comments, and i will repeat again, its not up to us to make any decision or any Agreement Regarding federalization. We talked about it. But its up to ukrainians. And ukrainians will decide their future for themselves, by themselves, with respect to what kind of definitions work for them. And it will have to be, you know, an input obviously of what the russian view is. I think its important to take that into account. Because russia obviously has long ties and serious interests. But in the end, ukrainians are going to have to make that decision. And so tonight we did not explore that because it would have been inappropriate of me to do so without ukrainian input and direction with respect to that. What were looking for here is a process. Not a substantive resolution. Ukrainians have to do that. What were looking for is how do we deescalate . How do we get on a track to be able to give the ukrainians the opportunity that they deserve to be able to do that. Hi. Just to clarify on your answer on the discussion of troops, is there any scenario under which the United States would accept having any of those troops remain . And secondly on the middle east, Prime Minister netanyahu told the meeting today the prisoner issue could take several days to resolve and that he will make no decision about prisoners that doesnt clearly benefit israel. What is your reading of where israel is on that issue on the release issue and how large a hurdle has that placed in your effort to get a Framework Agreement by the end of april . Well, with respect to the troop deployment, i think ive already answered it. We have ideas. We have some proposals that both sides made. And its really important for the appropriate consultations to take place before theres any discussion about that. But in the end, obviously the troops are in russia. Theyre on russian soil. The question is not one of right or legality. The question is one of strategic appropriateness. And and whether its smart at this moment in time to have that number of troops massed on a border when youre trying to send the message perceivably that you want to deescalate and begin moving in the other direction. So those are the choices that have to be made. But ukrainians have to be front and center in whatever the lasting, longterm possibilities are. And im not going to venture there tonight because its really up to them whats appropriate or not. Secondly, with respect to the middle east Peace Process and the prisoners, im just not going to comment at this important moment. I think it would be inappropriate to get into any kind of judgments about what may or may not occur or happen because its really a question between the palestinians and the israelis. And what Prime Minister netanyahu is prepared to do. So he has hes working diligently, i know. I just literally talked to him 15 minutes ago. And hes working at it. Our team is on the ground. We have our chief negotiator and the full team there. Theyre working every moment. Ive been in touch with them constantly through the day. And well see where we are tomorrow when some judgments have to be made. Thank you all. Appreciate it. Thanks. Youve been listening to secretary of state john kerry following his comments in paris at the u. S. Ambassadors residence there. These comments follow his meeting with the Russian Foreign minister, sergei lavrov. They were discussing the crisis in ukraine. In secretary kerrys words, that conversation with lavrov was, quote, a frank conversation. He said that the u. S. Made clear in that conversation that it still views russias actions in crimea as, in his words, illegal and illegitimate. On the key question of the Russian Forces now deployed some 40,000 Russian Forces on that border of eastern ukraine, which the u. S. , he said, views as provocative, clearly no agreement yet. He said that both sides made suggestions to each other about possible drawdown, redeployment of troops. He also noted in the end those troops are in russia on russian soil. That remains an open question. I want to bring in our Foreign Affairs reporter elyse labot. Shes in washington now. As you listen to secretary kerrys comments there, particularly his comments on those troops which the u. S. Has made very clear is a provocative act, those Russian Troops on the ukrainian border, did you hear a sign that they had moved closer to agreement on that issue . Jim, i think that theres an effort on both parts to deescalate the situation and not make it go further. I think whats interesting is these discussions were not centered around a reversal of this annexation of crimea which the secretary did say was inappropriate, illegal, illegitimate. But no talk in those statements, really, about reversing it. Which means which says to me that crimea is gone. This is kind of a fait accompli. What can the u. S. Give russia . What can the ukrainians and the International Community give russia . Some of the things they were talking about, constitutional reforms, a free and fair election, to consider russian interest in all of this says to me its really now about soothing russia rather than it is those bellicose statements and threats youve heard over the last week. Yes, sanctions are possible. But you look at whats happened in europe. Theyre very divided about it. The u. S. Doesnt want to gamble with oil markets. So really russia is in the drivers seat right here. And secretary kerry made clear that those troops are inside russia. Theyre not inside ukraine. And theres nothing the world can do about it. Elise, you make a very important point. Theres a new baseline in the negotiations between the west and russia. That baseline is crimea is now part of russia. All the discussions now relate to what happens to east ukraine. Do the Russian Troops go in there . The fact on the ground now is really a dangerous precedent for europe. You have russia crossing borders as secretary kerry said, illegally and illegitimately into ukrainian territory. Now has effectively made that part of russia. I think for the sake of our viewers just to explain the wider ramifications here, that has to make others of russias neighbors very nervous. Whether youre in the baltic stakes up in northern, Eastern Europe or even some of those countries char nwhich are nato , poland, et cetera, that border ukraine. And you have which voted to join russia. Now its kind of an unclear status. Still part of moldova. Were not just talking about the Baltic States in europe and the dangerous precedent it sends. It sends a dangerous precedent for any country around the world that says that basically any country with a Strong Military can annex another territory. You look at asia and china is making a lot of noise with japan about certain islands. In the gulf theres a dispute between iran and saudi arabia over certain islands. So it sends a dangerous precedent that if you have a Strong Military and you can annex another country, or another territory of a country, and theres really nothing that the world can do about it because unless you are part of a treaty obligation, such as nato, then theres really nothing the world is going to do to intervene. Yeah. And the eyes of the world, as you say, watching this. This has ramifications far beyond europe. Territorial disputes in asia as you mentioned between china and japan and others. Very important story for our viewers. As we said earlier secretary of state john kerry just completing this meeting with the Russian Foreign minister lavrov. A discussion secretary kerry described in his words as frank and that they still have not reached agreement, although he said both sides have made suggestions about that huge deployment of Russian Troops oen the eastern border of ukraine. Thanks very much to elise labbott. Please stay with us. Coming up after this break were going to be going back to our main story today. Thats the missing Malaysian Airline flight 370. Well bring our panel of experts back to talk about all the remaining questions that investigators have yet to answer. Stay with us. Thatll be right after this break. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. Everybody knows that. Well, did you know bad news doesnt always travel fast . clears throat hi mister tompkins. Todd . Youre fired. Well, gotta run. Geico. Fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. Welcome back. Were going to turn back to our other major story now. Search planes are scheduled to return to the skies above the search zone in the southern indian ocean. Its mission, to track down those four orange objects spotted yesterday. Theyre being called the most promising lead so far in finding parts of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. Each of them is about six feet long, these objects. Experts say they could, emphasis on could, be the planes emergency escape slides or possibly life rafts. As we possibly get closer to a potential break in the search, devastated families are protesting. Theyre demanding proof, something to justify the claim by malaysian officials that all lives onboard that plane were lost. Within hours o f this protest, a top malaysian official was offering a glimmer of hope to relatives in kuala lumpur. Miracles do happen. Remote or otherwise. That is the hope that the family members want me to convey. Todays search effort is ramping up as we speak. Additional planes and ships will later join the hunt for those four orange objects spotted in the ocean by search planes. Our kyung lah is in perth, australia. We were told about 15 minutes ago those first flights were meant to take off. What is their goal today . Reporter the goal is to try to knock off more of the search area. There are going to be more planes in the air today, jim, than yesterday. A total of ten in the air. And on sea, a very important distinction, ten ships expected to be in the sea. The reason that this is so important is the planes can spot all of this material. They can spot some of these objects. You were referencing those four orange pieces that were seen. But you have to verify it by having a ship go out there and pick it up. Thats really the key here. And with more of them at sea, there is more hope that perhaps they can figure it out. Get to these objects more quickly and verify them more quickly. Another important thing thats happening here this morning, in just a few minutes time we are anticipating the arrival of australias Prime Minister here to pearce air base and that he will be making comments this morning. We dont know what hes going to be talking about. The subject has not been made public. He will be arriving here in just a few minutes and then will be speaking to the press. Making some sort of comment, jim. Is there any indication that he has something important to announce or is this just a regular update rallying the troops there at the search zone . Reporter his comments have not been we havent gotten any notification of what hes going to be talking about. The fact that he hasnt released anything like that shouldnt be read as some important announcement. Its most likely that hes probably just coming here to get an update, to make some sort of comment. He has been making a comment every single day. Usually from another city in australia. But hes expected to arrive here perhaps to talk to some of the search teams. All right. Well listen out for updates for what he has to say. Weve talked a lot about this u. S. Pinger locater that had been flown to australia. Its now been loaded on that ship, the ocean shield. We saw some pictures of it. Do you know when that heads to the search zone . I suppose the goal, since they dont have a debris field, is just to head out in the general direction of the search zone at this point because thats all they can do . Reporter thats exactly right. It is expected to go out there to sort of be poised to be used. It takes about three days to reach this area. Were expecting that it leaves some time this morning. We havent been given an exact Departure Time but it is about this morning, in the next few hours or so, that it will leave. And as you mention, it does it is just getting to be poised there. Its going to take about three days. And they want it there. Because if there is a debris field found, they want to use it right away. The time is of the essence. Were only looking at about seven to ten days where the black box, before it runs out of batteries. Before the pinger is no longer audible. Thats why they want it to be poised and ready to go. Thanks very much to kyung lah in perth, australia. While those planes and boats scour the indian ocean, here at home the secret service is also working the case. Leading to questions about whether there could be a terror link to flight 370s disappearance. Cnn aviation correspondent renee marsh joins me now from washington with more. Renee, you and i both have been speaking to intelligence officials since this plane disappeared. Theyve always been saying nothing to indicate a tie to terrorism yet. But theyre clearly not closing that door, are they . No. Absolutely not at this point. As you mentioned there, jim, a senior u. S. Government official tells cnn that investigators there are still very much looking at the pilot as well as the copilot. But at this point, no aha moment, so to speak. A review of the hard drives from the captains Flight Simulator has not raised any red flags. And another source telling cnn that nothing suspicious was found after reviewing the passenger manifest. That said, when it comes to the question of whether someone deliberately took this plane off course, officials continue to believe based on how this plane flew, it suggests a deliberate action inside of the cockpit. But the question is, was it terrorism . Well, today the chair of both the house and Senate Intelligence committee were asked just that. Take a listen. Well, so far theres been none. And theres speculation, but theres nothing. Well, i have seen nothing yet that has come out of the investigation that would lead me to conclude that there was some anything other than a normal flight that something happened, something went wrong. Well, you know, that being said, investigators will continue to focus on the pilots. Even if theres no physical evidence such as a suicide notice. The reason for that is simply because they really dont have anything else to explain what happened on flight 370. So they continue, again, to look at both of the men who were in the cockpit. Jim . Thats the status of the investigation at this point three weeks later. Just keeping the options open, right . I suppose one missing thing when it comes to terrorism is that theres been no claim of responsibility. At least no credible claim of responsibility since the plane disappeared . Right. You know, and speaking to officials within within the intelligence community, they say generally you would think by now, if this was linked to terrorism, someone would come forward and take responsibility for it. However, the rule is there truly is no rule. So just because someone hasnt come forward doesnt nieecessary mean that terrorism should be or can be taken off the table. So we do know that it doesnt fit under generally what we would see. But, again, as that person said, the rule is no true rule to this one, jim. Like so many things with this investigation, right . They have to keep their options open. Thanks very much to rene marsh in washington. 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