Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel: U.S. pursuing diplomacy with Russia — for now
As Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine's Crimean peninsula over the weekend, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said the situation there risked becoming dangerously unstable.
"This could be a very dangerous situation if this continues in a very provocative way," Hagel said in an interview, recorded Friday, with CBS's Face the Nation. "We have many options, like any nations do. We're trying to deal with the diplomatic focus. That's the appropriate responsible approach and that's what we're going to continue."
Hagel's prerecorded remarks came before the Russian parliament on Saturday unanimously voted to send troops into Ukraine. Responding to that action, Secretary of State John Kerry called on Russia to withdraw its troops, warning that it could face stiff sanctions from the international community if it failed to do so.
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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