Tensions are boiling over in southeastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, where pro-Russia protesters have essentially taken over and declared themselves an independent republic.
Ukraine’s interim Prime Minister, who knows a little something about being installed after a foreign-backed protest, sees the demonstrations as a Russian plot, and has warned Russia against moving into the border territory.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Ukraine against making any move to crack down on the protests, saying they would not tolerate the use of force against ethnic Russians in Donetsk.
The Obama Administration likewise warned of escalation, and the White House claimed secret evidence that some of the protesters were being paid. Secretary of State John Kerry demanded Russia publicly disavow the Donetsk protesters.
