mr. yanukovich just like he's taking care of mr. snowden. >> charlie: we talk to three men with experience in russia, michael mcfaul, former ambassador nicholas burns, and stephen hadley, former national security advisor for president bush. >> let's have no illusions about how president obama thinks about president putin and these actions. >> charlie: how does he think about him in these actions? >> illegal, irresponsible, threatening the security of europe, and a sovereign country of ukraine. we have been very clear about that for a long time in the discussions about this leading up to this -- you know, this tragic moment we're in now. >> charlie: what next for russia and the united states and ukraine? next. captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose. >> charlie: we begin this evening with the escalating crisis in ukraine. russia's tightening its grip on crimea in the face of warnings by president obama and european leaders. the president spoke today in washington before a me

i'm afraid i do i think a mr yanukovich is deluded if he thinks he's going to return to ukraine as president. he's been ousted he's been ousted as a result of the fact that this might prove a boon far on protests in cities not wanted for serious crimes. he's been ousted by a very long but it's in the wrongs of elected members the polymer is under an impeachment process of trying he fled the country an abandoned the ship is that why i now claim that he was in fear of his life was a good citizen cruise lines. i presume is it into a trot arrested for committing crimes. and of cos he's now in russia. i think the entire western democrats to twelve dollars recognized a factor the interim government in the interim president too keen on. of course it will be elections almost read the fifth of may which will be full but say a new column on the president the local soft wool in time the as it was just a wise democrats are to be the revolutionary situation where the ferries has a seventy dollars on a normal show but is a democratically elected president he was ousted by nationalist also of course i choo

mr yanukovich to the complete u turn i decided not to sign the association agreement not to sign the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement with the european union and potential a small step to allow president the kitchen to rebuild it kind of soviets crony capitalist system based on the eurasian economic union lot of people in ukraine the majority in a different and all that did not want that destiny for that showed me one of the heads in the direction of democracy trial run i received a most of all honesty amongst politicians not the bubble robbing the country and putting them on in austria switzerland with a baby or separate investigations into some outings on the gamut of it into millions of these the salted away in swiss bank accounts but djokovic thank you so much that i really could give you perspective on this you can embed your component live from london thank you for joining us much appreciated. my cousin thank you for the full briefing on real crisis in ukraine from hordes of it to how it might tend to leak of a dedicated bowling team gathering information as it comes

mr. yanukovich remains in kiev, he would have been allowed to exercise -- >> this is exactly the problem - what happened there was immediately after this agreement was signed, not just by president yanukovich and the opposition leaders but also the signatures were affected by the foreign ministers of germany, france, and poland. it was supported by the european union. immediately, there were threats the they would storm presidential residence unless he resigns by 10:00 the next morning. that is my understanding. of what caused them to leave the city. was was not something which envisaged in the agreement. that was a clear breach of that agreement. >> there seems to be a move to get the international monetary fund to quickly offer money. russia is a member so would you participate? >> we are prepared to discuss various approaches to dealing with a very dramatic economic situation in ukraine. for us coming from the russian perspective, it is somewhat difficult to discuss it specifically. we don't know what the problem of this government will be in what kind of government it will be. will it

mr. yanukovich and he fell and corrupt and authoritarian and had to show ukraine there's a price to be paid for not paying attention to the kremlin's wishes and that price to create a crisis in crimea, perhaps to seize crimea, perhaps to intervene elsewhere in ukraine. it's very dangerous game. >> the mission here, sounds like you're saying that the mission could be to destabilize all of ukraine. >> that's certainly one consequence or one possible consequence of this, yes. >> the united states as you know placing the blame for this crisis squarely on the shoulders of vladimir putin, senator julia mancuso -- john mccain saying with "the beast" has totally misjudged russia and president putin. he said in part, of course, she got it wrong. secretary clinton here. saying that mccain, she believed that there would be a reset with the kgb colonel with ambitions to restore the russian empire. that's what this is all about. this personalizing the crisis, ambassador, this personalizing it, around president putin, does that make it easier for harder to understand what issues are at stake here? >> the

mr. yanukovich, in what way do you see the future of ukraine?thank you. >> partially i did respond to this question earlier. i would like to reaffirm that and i have a real chance once i have the conditions and once my safety is ensured, including by the international mediators, once my personal safety is ensured, i will come back to ukraine as soon as ossible. secondly, i do see a way of resolving this crisis. first and foremost, is the federal agreement that was unilaterally reached. and the west needs to take full responsibility for that. we need to come back to this issue and get a reply from both sides. the responsibility for not implementing these agreements rests with the west. they initiated it. they send their foreign minister to kiev. they have coordinated all of these issues. they have aprofedse all -- they have approved all of those items on the agenda. the counselor of ministers was n brussels that day. that is my position. will maintain it. >> it was reported today that the swiss government arrested your assets in swiss banks as we

mr. yanukovich signed the agreement, walks out, what actually stayed outside in kiev, packed it valuablesside. turned out very briefly the next day and a short filmed interview where he was still his the president did he disappear for another six days until he turned up and gave a press conference last week in russia. as far as i know, he has not been seen then. the agreement kind of fell apart because president yanukovich advocated. there's a certain amount of ad-libbing we really had no executive authority. at that point, yanukovich saturday accepted the resignation of his prime minister who i believe have been on to moscow. it basically took the steps did including the active president. i agree i think this is all consistent with the parliamentary rules and ukraine. it does underscore the importance of underscoring the presidential election in may and having it be free and fair in the way that gives ukrainian account and that we now have a democratically elected leader who then having to correct legitimacy but the acting president does not. getting that is very, very important. >> co n

moscow's actions in recent days are fully appropriate and that legitimate mr sharkey said that ukraine is ousted leader viktor yanukovich sent a letter previously t allow president biden airport and requesting that he used the russian military to restore law and order in ukraine ambassador check and says that despite the fact a chemical that was forcefully ousted from power. moscow believes that he remains the legitimate president of ukraine at this moment now the russian envoy held up a photocopy i've yet to prove its letter guide to all security council members and even a red parts of what was written. she a machine you begin to clean the teeth that is including received the following winter coat as a few korean victory on a cool bridge. i am quilting has legitimately elected president of ukraine high stakes of his hands on minds on what is unlawful seizure of power in tafe to lead ukraine to the brink of civil war. countries in heels the life that you do in the race critically in the st east. when beckoned us under the influence of western countries that are open on terror and violence. angels pitcher for the line wa

yanukovich, i quote, statements of president of ukraine. say that the events in my place, and in kiev, have resulted in fact that i would call on mr. puti is establish peace, law an "law & order", defending people of ukraine. lou: our ambassador. samantha power blasting the rush rob an federation calling their justification for mill ta risin cirmea, a lie. ambassador power did not use the wording invasion or incurring to describe the russian military act in crimea. >> so many assersions made this afternoon are without basis, it is fact that russia has rrounded or taken over practically all fundaments in crimea, it is also a fact that independen journalists continue to report that there is no evidence of violence against russian or pro russian communities. communities. >> russians are still deny they threatened military action if ukraine fails to surrender, in the crimea. we will know within hours. just what the russian intent is. president obama and european union are now threatening to level economic sanctions against russia. russia refuses to stan its forces down. president obama is looking to isolate russia. that will be tough t

mr. putin. bc is he met with the d'amico meth and he -- he says he with viktor yanukovich and he is alive. no sympathy for him. take a look at the features. your cohorts in crime suggest, do we just ignore all of this ukraine chat? >> the reality is, there is no serious prospect of the u.s. or nato escalating this. as tragic as it is for the ukrainian people, it looks as though it is now not going to become a larger geopolitical impact. that is why you see the markets rebounding. >> it is a cultural issue. i thought david brooks was good this morning talking about the history back to peter the great and beyond, of the russian character. it is my morning must read this morning. does that capture the image. >> i wonder because a kremlin aide said russia would stop repaying debt to u.s. banks and abandon the dollar in the event of economic sanctions. is that likely or even possible? >> that was a little saber rattling. ,r either of those to happen especially failing to pay back the banks, that was certainly get on everyone's radar screen. thethreats about dropping dollar, i don't think a big,

which is the responsibility of president yanukovich who betrayed his country and forfeited his legitimacy and responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people but also mr. putin, they're the ones principally responsible, not the west. >> woodruff: do i understand you, richard betts, saying the administration shouldn't be much more active than it's already been, that the thrust now should be to back off, if anything? >> no, we have to impose sanctions. we have to make the russians pay a price tore what they did but we also have to try to avoid escalating the confrontation to more dangerous levels. there are still things that could happen that send things out of control, things neither moscow nor washington can control directly. for better or worse, great powers do try to shape and constrain the actions of other countries that affect their interests. the fact that we may have interests in avoiding escalation that affect our policy towards ukraine i think is quite reasonable. >> woodruff: do you want to react and how much more should the administration be pushing right now? >> i think the administration has to keep additional round of sanctions open. sanc

mr. lavrov, we don't have a breakthrough of who is legitimate. here's the problem, the minister of kiev posts the ousting of yanukovich.ns won't acknowledge that. the problem is the russians will acknowledge what the government in kiev think is an illegal government in crimea. that government has now voted to join the russian federation, possibly cause a referendum to the crimean people on march 16th. that is the sunday after next, as well. of course, yanukovich saying this is an legitimate autonomous government being created and it pount shouldn't be recognized under international because the only way anyone can succeed from ukraine is by a countrywide vote on succession. so this is incredibly complicated because the russians aren't recognizing the kiev government. the kiev government isn't recognizing the crimean government as well. the russians are denying that it is their forces that are occupying the crimea as well. other voices i've been talking to about the legitimacy of the government here, it's key for why the russians and the you kr krabians are not talking. everyone is saying a similar thing in kiev, includi

mr. yanukovich, thank for your questions. we talked about political questions. >> in conclusion, i would like to beress those who claim the income bept power. , stop ncumbent power this violence. you will be held responsible for hat. e can see the end is near. we will never agree to live with you in that kind of country. that is why, here is what i'm going to tell you. leave. we do not want more violence and more grief to fall upon the ukrainian nation. i would like to address the krainian people first. , i would like to offer my apology. i will do everything in my power to be with the ukrainian nation. i will always cherish the lives of the people which were lost. if i were in ukraine today, i to every family, no matter which side of the bare cade. -- parricade. i am convinced that those who were in power today, the ukrainian people are nothing. they don't treat them as people. the truth will prevail. thank you. >> thank you all. thank you mr. yanukovich. >> washington journal is live at 7:00 a.m. with your calls, tweets, an