Russia state TV paints Moscow as savior of eastern Ukraine

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — As the West sounds the alarm about the Kremlin ordering troops into eastern Ukraine and decries an invasion, Russian state media paints a completely different picture. It portrays the move as Moscow coming to the rescue of war-torn areas tormented by Ukraine’s aggression and bringing them much-needed peace. The fanfare came hours after Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s recognition of the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states and ordered its troops there to “maintain peace” in an area where Russia-backed rebels have been fighting Kyiv’s forces since 2014. Television presenters hailed a “historic” day and professed an end to suffering for residents of the breakaway areas. Whether ordinary Russians are buying it is another question.