Russian state television could not even wait for the end of the Games to launch a scathing attack on the ousted Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovich.
Accusing him of betrayal, presenter Dmitry Kiselyov said: “The consequences are irreversible. Ukraine is one step from a split and probably already beyond the threshold of civil war.”
The president has not spoken in public about the fall of Yanukovich, but Kiselyov is a Putin loyalist who has the president’s trust. He will soon take over a media organization intended to polish Russia’s image.
Western leaders are concerned Russia may be so worried about losing influence in Ukraine, the cradle of Russian civilization, that it could use force to prevent the vast country to its west forging closer ties with the European Union.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member