Andrea Mitchell: Has Putin Claimed Ukraine As ‘New Russia’?
MADDOW: "Well, in that four hours of bluster and that remarkable event today. How big of a deal was it that President Putin called Ukraine 'new Russia' today? I know you highlighted that in your report tonight on Nightly News. Is that -- is that carefully calculated bluster? Is that laying the groundwork for something larger? Is that just a provocation?"
MITCHELL: "Well, that's what they don't know. They don't know whether he actually is still going to try to destabilize Ukraine, eastern Ukraine, and the rest of the country, by keeping thugs in eastern Ukraine, by having these protests. You know, the view for most analysts from the Organization of Security and Confidence in Europe and others from the U.N. is that -- and polling recently -- is that eastern Ukraine is not like Crimea was. That in fact the protests, the pro-Kiev rally we saw in a Donestk today was fairly representative of view, mixed view towards Russia in eastern Ukraine. It's not really represented by the people who took over those government buildings. So there is a variety of opinion and it's not that easy for him to move troops in. but he has got these uniformed thugs that are clearly Russian. He denied they were Russian but they clearly are. So, is he going to keep those troops amassed on the border of Ukraine and make it difficult to have an election. that would be a problem. destabilizing Ukraine without moving any troops across the border."
MADDOW: "President Obama today called that 'a gesture of intimidation' some of his strong marks on that. Secretary Kerry said, 'if we are not able to see progress on efforts to implement the principles of this agreement this weekend', he said, 'then we will have no choice but to impose further costs on Russia.' Are those carefully chosen words? Should we see that as a Monday deadline from the state department before the U.S. starts looking at more sanctions toward Russia?
MITCHELL: "Well we did have the call to Angela Merkel, and David Cameron as well, and strong word on readouts from the White House on conversations. They have to coordinate with Europe. The president has the the authority could move to step up the sanctions. We are told that more sanctions are being prepared against their cronies, businesses, Putin circle. But to do the big sanctions that would hurt Russia would hurt France, Britain and Germany. And so he has got to coordinate that with the leaders and figure out how to proportionately do financial and energy and mining and arms shipments sanctions that will not disproportionately hurt Germany more than the other allies. So that's what they're trying to do, they're figure out the actual measurement of sanctions. I don't think it is literally Monday. I think it will take a couple days to see, to test whether Russia really does de-escalate. Whether they disarm the militias, whether give up the government buildings. And if they don't do that I think you will see additional sanctions. But whether it is the big guns from the United States and the allies, remains to be seen."
