USA TODAY:
… Q: President Obama said Wednesday the world would “completely reject” a “slapdash election” and there would be “a cost” for Russia. What cost?
A: Already you see a number of steps taken. For example, the other seven members of the G-8 unanimously agreed to stop preparing to go to the G-8 summit in Sochi. My guess is that the G-8 mechanism itself is somewhat at risk now. If the Russians continue this action, at some point the other seven are going to say, we don’t need a G-8, we’re going to go back to the G-7 that we had in the 1990s…
Q: But there are costs to the U.S. as well with these steps. We’re been trying to cultivate relations with Russia to deal with things like money laundering and organized crime.
A: But I think the perception not only in Washington but also in Europe is that Vladimir Putin by this military occupation of Crimea has violated the rules of the game. Since 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union borders were seen to be sacrosanct. And this kind of blatant grab — you haven’t seen this in the last 25 years.
Q: Is a new Cold War coming?
A: We certainly are headed toward perhaps the rockiest period in U.S.-Russia relations since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. … Unless the Russians change course, we’re going to be in a very difficult time, unfortunately… (more)
