In a move that has the United States curling its toes in frustration, and the Ukraine bristling, Russia’s President Putin has sent troops to Crimea to protect the interests of Russian civilians, and troops based there.
Ukraine interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said , "This is a red alert. This is not a threat. This is actually a declaration of war to my country,” after the Russian military demanded that the Ukraine military surrender and lay down any weapons in their possession.
President Putin gained permission from parliament to send troops to Crimea to protect Russian citizens and soldiers stationed there, according to CNN . Officials in the Ukraine have denied that Russian citizens and soldiers are in any danger.
According to the LA Times, United States Secretary of State John Kerry has weighed in on the situation saying that, ““You know, he may be able to have his troops for some period of time in Crimea. The fact is he’s going to lose on the international stage, Russia is going to lose, the Russian people are going to lose,” continuing with, “He's going to lose all of the glow that came out of the Olympics, his $60-billion extravaganza. He may find himself with asset freezes on Russian business. American business may pull back. There may be a further tumble of the ruble. There's a huge price to pay.”
This conflict began with protests against the government after former President Viktor Yanukovych botched a deal with Europe. He was ousted as president last week. Over 50% of people in Crimea believe that it should be a part of Russia instead of the Ukraine.
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