CGTN America
Demonstrators hold Ukrainian flags at a rally in support of Ukraine and against Russian involvement in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, Friday, Aug. 29, 2014. President Barack Obama suggested Thursday that the U.S. might impose new economic sanctions on Russia, blaming it squarely for the warfare in eastern Ukraine. But he ruled out any military options and proposed no shift in an American-led strategy that has yet to convince Moscow to halt operations against its far weaker neighbor. (PHOTO: AP/Shakh Aivazov)
President Vladimir Putin says Russia should be ready to respond to any threat, amid international outrage at widespread accusations of Russian troops fighting with insurgents inside Ukraine.
Views inside Russia have varied, with some agreeing with state controlled media who deny Russian troops are fighting in Ukraine and blame Kiev for the crisis.
Others see the fighting as stoked by Russia and an intervention which will isolate and damage their country. CCTV America’s Tom Barton reports.
Follow Tom Barton on Twitter @TomBartonJourno
Russian President Vladimir Putin has likened Ukrainian government forces fighting to regain territory from pro-Russian militants in the east of Ukraine to the World War Two Nazi siege of Leningrad.
In Moscow, many agree with Putin and don’t think Russian troops have crossed the Ukrainian border.
Other Russians, however, have been protesting and demanding to know where their soldier husbands and sons were sent. A member of Russia’s presidential human rights council said she believes Russia is invading Ukraine.
International sanctions have followed the criticism of Russian actions in Ukraine. The Kremlin has responded with food import bans against the U.S., the E.U. and other countries and officially brushes off western measures as having no effect.
Russia’s government is making a mistake says analyst Igor Nikolayev, and a proposed ban on foreign airliners flying over Russian airspace would be an even greater one.
“I hope that people will consider purely the economics. Of course it’s possible to respond with these unpleasant measures, but in these circumstances, it will be Russia that suffers more. Could this airspace ban be introduced Yes, even though we will lose out more. And that’s unfortunately how it is for now.” –Igor Nikolayev, Director of the FBK Institute of Strategic Analysis
The ruble hit at an all-time low versus the dollar and Russian stocks extended a 5-percent fall this week on the reports of Russia sending its army to support the pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine.
For more on the conflict in eastern Ukraine, CCTV America was joined by Steven Fish. He’s a professor of political science at the University of California at Berkeley.
