President Obama has warned Russia of incurring costs if they consider a military intervention in the Ukraine as tensions rise with Vladimir Putin.
In speaking of the crisis, Obama informed reporters of his stance on the matter in the White House briefing room, by saying, “We are now deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine. The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.”
This isn’t the first time that Obama and Putin have confronted each other. This incident which follows the one which just occurred in Syria has led Obama to also mention that violating Ukraine’s sovereignty could be “deeply unstabilizing”.
Russia, on the other hand, have said that they have a massive naval base in Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and that, according to an agreement, they have the right to go about moving troops in the same region.
What has made matters worse for Obama is that Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President has been encouraged to flee to Russia apart from the fact that US officials have been watching the movements of Russian troops in the region but do not know how many or what their true intentions are.
Ukraine fell into a political crisis last year when its President, Viktor Yanukovich, rejected a broad trade deal made by the European Union opting instead for a Russian $15 billion bailout.
US officials say that a response from the United States will include the curbing the extent to which trade and commerce ties occurs with Russia – and which could cost them dearly as a result.