Russia's leader says Moscow seeks "demilitarization and denazification" of Ukraine, tells Ukrainian army to lay down weapons, warns of response to foreign intervention.
"The decision will allow to coordinate at most all authorities, regional state administrations in the conditions of martial law," said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Within the next couple of months it is likely that there will be direct US military involvement in Ukraine, with Russia now openly supporting and recognizing separatist groups in the Donbass region on the eastern edge of the country and apparently moving to aid them militarily in separation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed Russian forces to make a military entry into two Ukrainian regions that have declared their independence from Ukraine via rebel forces.
In the latest development out of the Donbas, Reuters reports that under its new agreement with separatist leaders, Russia has a right to build and establish military bases in eastern Ukraine.
The National Endowment for Democracy can claim it is in the business of democracy promotion. In reality, it does anything but that, unless “democracy” is entirely synonymous with elite U.S. interests.