Russia's seizing of Crimea has sparked international tensions between Russia and the west, which has led to many to suspect a new Cold War is around the corner. This direct action has been compared to Russia's covert actions towards the Ukraine crisis, and has given cause for other nations to suspect his motives and possible Geo-strategic intent in extending to the Baltic States. As a result, their respective governments have influenced international media, some outwardly giving talking points that form a narrative of a Russia versus the west conflict, which is on the edge of propaganda. There are slight differences in coverage between the media of the United States of America and the Russian Federation with regard to the actions involving Crimea.
First in the United States, in opposition to President Barack Obama's actions regarding Ukraine, the Washington Post seems to hold a Neoconservative perspective. In the Washington Post, Obama is portrayed as a weak leader who is not knowledgeable about reality. Charles Krauthammer, the author of the article, "Obama vs. Putin: The mismatch," spends most of his time criticizing Obama. He compares Obama to a "Miss America contestant [when] asked to name her fondest wish" in order to poke fun at him for having naive dreams (Krauthammer). Krauthammer continues to bash on Obama's weak leadership abilities all the while praising the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin. He deems Putin as a better leader because of his successful campaign to annex Crimea. "Putin conquered [Crimea] in a swift and stealthy campaign that took three weeks and cost his forces not a sprained ankle" (Krauthammer). The author shows that while Obama denounced Putin's actions, Putin was able to annex Crimea without any military casualties (Krauthammer). The article reveals the anti-left-wing ideology of the Washington Post as they call out Obama's mistakes for not having an aggressive stance against Russia while praising Putin for his leadership.