The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. on Sunday warned that Russia's hostility toward Ukraine is not limited to any particular conflict between the two countries, but is part of a larger mission against democracy iteself.
Amb. Oksana Markarova appeared on CBS’ "Face the Nation" to discuss Russia’s massing of an estimated 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and the rising fears that Moscow is planning an invasion.
"If Ukraine will be further attacked by Russia, of course they will not stop after Ukraine," Markarova said. "That’s why it’s in the interest of Europe and all the democratic world to help us to defend ourselves but also to show that the international rule of law still works."
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{{#rendered}}Senator John Barrasso, R-W.y., warned Russia's energy supply is a "cash cow" for Kremlin aggression as tension on the Ukrainian border continues to mount.
Sen. Barrasso joined Maria Bartiromo on "Sunday Morning Futures" to discuss the role energy has in international affairs as the possibility of a Russian-led invasion of Ukraine looms.
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In a speech televised on state television Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that NATO wants to pull Ukraine into the alliance and challenged its claim to serve purely as a “defensive structure.”
NATO “has already come close to Ukraine. They also want to drag this country there,” Lavrov said. “Although everyone understands that Ukraine is not ready and could make no contribution to strengthening NATO security.”
Ukraine has sought NATO membership for years, but any prospects of joining appear far off as the country struggles to find political stability and combat corruption.
“It is difficult to call it defensive. Do not forget that they bombed Yugoslavia for almost three months, invaded Libya, violating the U.N. Security Council resolution, and how they behaved in Afghanistan,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Any economic sanctions NATO imposes against Russia will have minimal impact since China would provide relief in an effort to embarrass the U.S., a former defense official told Fox News Digital.
Diplomatic discussions stalled this week after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken provided a handwritten response to Russian demands. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that the response offered "little ground for optimism" but acknowledged "prospects for continuing dialogue."
But Robert L. Wilkie, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness during the Trump administration, said that any such economic punishments would not provide the kind of impact American officials believe it will due to Russia's strong bond with China.
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{{#rendered}}A cyber expert warned Saturday that Russia might target the U.S. with cyberattacks if sanctioned over its aggression toward Ukraine.
"If Russia does indeed go into the Donbas region and wave a flag…the United States has already promised a series of responses," R.P. Eddy, CEO of cybersecurity firm Ergo, told a bipartisan group of governors. "What is Russia’s next move? Very likely is to increase cyberattacks. It’s an easy move for them. That means U.S. states and U.S. private companies need to be taking this very seriously."
"We are already in a warfare state right now, and we need to be aware of that," he added.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday his government in preparing troops for a possible European deployment to support NATO amid Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
"This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin – we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our NATO allies in the face of Russian hostility," Johnson said.
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