Fighting And Rhetoric Continues In Ukraine Crisis

NPR

Published September 2, 2014 at 12:12 PM EDT

Ukrainian soldiers sit on the top of an APC patrolling in the Donetsk area, on September 2, 2014. (Anantoli Stepanov/AFP/Getty Images)

There are new reports today that Russian troops are on the ground in eastern Ukraine. Moscow continues to deny that. And as President Obama heads to Estonia today, a top Russian official says his country will alter its military doctrine toward NATO in response to what it says is the alliance’s aggressive stance on what’s happening in eastern Ukraine.

Yesterday, NATO’s secretary general said the alliance will develop a quick response strike force of several thousand soldiers who could be on standby to respond to a crisis.

Ukraine analyst Olexiy Solohubenko of BBC World News tells Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson, “in eastern Ukraine, I think what NATO is saying will be regarded perhaps not aggressive enough.”

Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.

Guest

Olexiy Solohubenko, editor for BBC World Service and former head of the BBC’s Ukrainian service. He tweets @OS1954.