Good morning from washington. The Prime Minister of ukraine says his country is on the brink of disaster. Russian troops are in crimea and in response, Ukrainian Government has called up its military reservists, even as it admits the country cant match russias firepower. Ukraines defense minister says russian soldiers converged on three military bases in crimea demanding ukrainian troops surrender and give up their weapons. The ukrainian soldiers did not and there has been no fighting between them. President obama and russian president Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone for 90 minutes saturday. The u. S. Says russia is breaking international law. Russia says its protecting its military personnel and citizens in crimea. In response to all of this, the United States, Great Britain and france are suspending their participation in preparation talks for the g8 summit being held in russia in june. Were going to get a lot of perspectives on this, but we want to go first to ukraines ambassador to the u. N. Well also speak later to president obama hes former National Security advisor and two top u. S. Senators. Mr. Ambassador, first of all, thank you so much for joining us. I want to ask you in response to a couple of breaking developments now. The Prime Minister now in ukraine says this has been a declaration of war. What russia has done, by moving its troops, into crimea. What, practically speaking, does that mean, given that nearly everyone admits this is not a military confrontation the ukraine can take on and win. Yesterday we demand the Security Council at United Nations had its meeting, extraordinary meeting. And we declared that what is going on in ukraine is the act of aggression from the russian side against ukraine. So we proved it by the United Nations documents which are defining the act of aggression which started long before the decision of the russian parliament. Russian ambassador could not explain the exact reason why they send the troops to ukraine. The pretext, he explain he expl absolutely shocking. Because is to protect russian speaking population. Couldnt imagine russians could protect any russianspeaking around the world, including here at United Nations. In United States, in brooklyn. So it means that the explaining from russias side absolutely unacceptable pretext which is not foreseen by the international laws. So thats why today the Prime Minister said what he said and yesterday we were supported by the critics in the United Nations really estimating that it is an act of aggression. I think that clearly World Opinion is on the side of the government in kiev. My question to you is, okay, its a declaration of war by russia. Lets accept that that is what those movement of Russian Troops over the border has been. Now what . Because if ukraine doesnt have the military forces to confront russia, who or what backs them off . First of all, we address to the guarantors of our security, territorial integrity the countries who are permanent members of the Security Council and who gave us guarantee under the socalled budapest agreement in 1994 to protect our territorial integrity. So yesterday on our appeal in the Security Council, the ambassador of United Kingdom addressed all the guarantors to conduct immediate consultations as it is provisioned by the memorandum. But realistically, do you expect, mr. Ambassador, that there will be any military help for ukraine in this confrontation, or are you looking for sort of a global effort at diplomacy . Both. We are looking for to raise the World Leaders and ask to stop this aggression when it is very first stage and until putin has not signed yet this decision over the parliament. Secondly, today the parliament and the government addressed our guarantors under the budapest memorand memorandum, the budapest memorandum that was signed because of our decision to get rid of Nuclear Weapons, to protect our nuclear objects, namely the nuclear plants. So it means that we need military support as well. So military support in terms of weaponry. But so many, including the United States, seem to have at least come very close to ruling out military involvement by other nations. Is that your understanding . We are to demonstrate that we have our own capacity to protect ourselves as it was decided today in the parliament and we are preparing to defend ourselves. And nationally if aggravation is going in that way, when the Russian Troops, they are enlarging their quantity with every coming hour, naturally we will ask for military support and other kind of support. And lastly, mr. Ambassador, if i may, what do you think Vladimir Putin wants . Well, its difficult to explain sometimes the behavior of some leaders. But what i can tell directly now to him as well, we are in the great 40 days orthodox lent starts tomorrow. If he is a christian, if he demonstrates his christianity, instead of preparing to kill us, he should pray for us. Mr. Ambassador, yuriy sergeyev, we appreciate your time and hope to see you back here again soon. Thank you. I wlant ant to bring in cnn diana magnate. We know what russia and the u. S. Want. It is difficult from afar to understand what the crimean people want. Reporter well, i think it depends on whether you like to look on this as an occupation or as a peacekeeping mission which is the way most of the ethnic russians here in this region who form the majority of the population here look at it. Just now, candy, literally half a minute ago, we had a convoy of cars coming up here with the russian flag on top and this prorussian rally thats been taking place here in the main square behind me, they all went over there, they all waved their hands. Theyve been chanting putin, thank you, in the square earlier. You get the sense for the ethnic russians here they are very, very scared of the events that took place in kiev. They dont feel represented by the new Ukrainian Government. They feel that they need to have their rights protected, and thats why they like these unidentified military troops who are guarding their government apparatus. And, you know, you get the impression from them that they feel that president putin has got their back, and they like it that way. Sorry, diana. So do i understand you that there is not any recognition in crimea itself. It certainly appears from afar that Russian Troops are now in control of very specific areas of crimea. Reporter its more that the ethnic russians here dont mind that. They are happy to have this military presence which they feel is safeguarding them from the bigger threat which in their mind is the ultra nationalists in kiev who will come here and spread the ideas of the maydan, preserve the right to have russian as their first an only language and exclude their rights. They feel naturally more affiliated with russia than a lot of them do with ukraine or certainly the new ukraine. Thats why they dont necessarily mind this military presence. But, that is not the entire of the crimean population. Ethnic russians number the majority, 75 or so. You also have ukrainian nationals, you also have a 10 ethnic tatas and i think they are far more worried of this military presence on the streets. Diana magnate from crimea, thank you so much. Im joined by the former National Security advisor to president barack obama. This certainly from afar looks like a real mess. You have basically a very weak government right now in kiev still trying to get itself together after a coup of the elected president whos fled to russia. You have an area of the ukraine which is autonomous, as they say, an autonomous republic, that has now seen an increase in the number of Russian Troops there and it looks like this sort of global confrontation. This is what the president had to say friday. The United States will stand with the International Community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in ukraine. Like what, for instance . What is the cost . Because i think we can say the russians are in crimea. Well, clearly. I think the facts are that the russians have undertaken military intervention into crimea and theyve done that in violation of international law. Theyve done that in violation of their own obligations in the Bilateral Agreements they have with ukraine and theyve done it as the ambassador reported on earlier today in violation of their own obligations in the wake of ukraine becoming a sovereign country and giving up Nuclear Weapons. In 1994 i was involved russia committed to the territorial integrity whats going to stop them . Well, it is a difficult set of circumstances because of the confluence of history and demography and geopolitics. This arose, of course, out of a rejection by the ukrainian people of a decision by yang yanukovych to move away from association with europe and basically under severe financial pressure from the russians to move toward a Close Association with russia. This was rejected by the you ukrainian people and yanukovych is now gone. Now what can happen, is your question. Number one, what the russians have done here needs to be condemned in the strongest terms because it is clearly a violation of international law. It should be condemned at the United NationsSecurity Council and a bunch of other fora as well. The russians have a veto at the Security Council. I still think it is very important the Security Council, given the stakes here and given the tensions here, and given the potential for conflict, to step in and seek to condemn this and seek to demand deescalation. Thats the second thing. Which russia as a permanent member is going to be tough. It will be. But i think it is important to make the point there. By the way, it is also to confront the chinese on this principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty. But let me go on with what else i think will happen. Two is that as the president did yesterday, the russians need to be called upon to deescalate here. It is not clear who they were acting to protect from some dire need here. There is no evidence i dont think that ive seen that in fact any russian ethnic or any of the military personnel and other personnel that russia has legitimately in crimea were under threat. If they did, they could have taken those concern directly to the people. I think it is important the interim government be supported in kiev. Id like to see secretary kerry support them financially and i think the number of steps need to be taken including stepping away from having the g8 summit in sochi this june. Really how much influence does that have over putin . This is a critical and a cultural place to which the crimea, to which russia has a huge attachment. Saying, hey, were not going to the g8 now, just seems like hes going to go, yeah, okay, its more important to me. What moves putin out of crimea . He needs to be isolated on the issue of the International Community. Secondly, i do think that it is significant, frankly, for there to be a suspension of participation by russians in the g8 and perhaps calling off the meeting this spring. But next i do think it is important to continue to isolate them politically and perhaps economically and we should look at, candy, if indeed there is not deescalation here and indeed this is pushed closer to the brink, and indeed if you look at the history here, this has always been a potential flashpoint between russia and the ukraine and crimea. If there is not deescalation i think we should look at economic sanctions and pressure on russia which can be significant. Russias economy right now is not in the the strongest position. They need the eu markets very much and i do think economic pressure should be considered here. I want to read you a quote actually from the former National Intelligence officer for russia you raise at the nic who said in the New York Times saturday well talk about sanctions, well talk about red lines, well basically drive ourselves into a frenzy and hell meaning putin will stand back and just watch it. He just knows that none of the rest of us want a war. And again, this is the idea to what gets to putin. Because he is, i read someplace, like 100 more interested in what happens in crimea than any of the countries now saying this is terrible. I think thats fair. And indeed, again, this reflects i think a view on putins part that in fact the ukraine and the former soviet republics are truly not independent of russian influence. This of course is what was rejected in kiev by the ukrainian people. This has been a blow to putin in terms of their assertion of this influence, if you will, over ukraine and doing everything they can to prevent ukraine from associating more closely economically and other ways with europe. And this was rejected. It is a real blow to putin and hes reacting to it. Former National Security advisor, tom donilon. We appreciate your insight. There is no shortage of opinions about what the u. S. Should do in ukraine. Senators dick durbin and Lindsey Graham next. We only know one direction up so were up early. Up late. Thinking up gamechanging ideas, like this dozens of tax free zones across new york state. Move here. Expand here. Or start a new business here. And pay no taxes for 10 years. With new jobs, new opportunities and a new tax free plan. Theres only one way for your business to go. Up. Find out if your business can qualify at startupny. Com predibut, manufacturings a prettin the United States do. Means advanced technology. 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Let me try to channel this and say to you, senator graham, the president has come out and spoken very forcefully on friday about consequences. The u. S. Has made it clear that it disapproves of what russia has done. Youve been tweeting about strong statements. What more do you want from president obama at this point . Well, number one, stop going on television and trying to threaten thugs and dictators. It is not your strong suit. Every time the president goes on National Television and threatens putin or anyone like putin, everybodys eyes roll, including mine. We have a weak and indecisive president that invites aggression. President obama needs to do something. How about this suspend russian membership in the g8 and the g20 at least for a year starting right now. For every day that they stay in crimea, add to the suspension. Do something. Senator durbin, i manl youre going to disagree, at least with the description of how president obamas handled things. Well, of course i disagree. You would expect the president of the United States to speak out against what putin is trying to achieve here. We got to remember that putin developed his diplomatic fin news as the head of the soviet secret police. And his idea of invading countries occupying them and really daring people to go to war is the those are the tactics of a bully. What the president has done is speak out against them. This notion of taking him out of the g8 has already been suggested by the administration. Some members. And i think it is the right thing do. Now what congress has to do, what the senate should do, quickly, is a resolution condemning what putin has done. Second, saying that if ukraine will stand up for real reform, that were going to back them throug