It’s now official. Russian President Vladimir Putin today signed a treaty to incorporate Crimea into Russia — a move that Russian President Vladimir Putin described as a “restoration of historical justice.” The move follows a referendum in Crimea that overwhelmingly supported Russian annexation.
The United States and the European Union have responded by freezing assets and placing travel restrictions on Russian and Ukrainian officials involved in the crisis, with promises of stricter and stronger sanctions to come.
Leaders of the Group of 8 announced today that they’re suspending Russia’s participation, and President Obama has invited leaders of the remaining seven countries to meet next week in the Netherlands.
Andrew Weiss, who oversees research on Russia and Eurasia for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and served as a policy assistant for both Presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush, joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to discuss what this means for U.S.-Russia relations.
Guest
- Andrew Weiss, oversees research on Russia and Eurasia for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He served as a policy assistant for both Presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush. He tweets @andrewsweiss.
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