
Is Putin creating a pretext for war?
CNN
Russian President Vladimir Putin is a man who likes to keep his options open, and the Ukraine crisis is no exception: As the Kremlin leader signals his willingness to engage on the diplomatic front, he is also bolstering a case for war.
Take the situation in Donbas, the territories in eastern Ukraine partly controlled by Russian-backed separatists. In a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, Putin dropped the "g" word to describe the situation there.
"According to our estimates, what is happening in the Donbas today is genocide," Putin said.

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