Gaps wide after Obama-Putin 90-minute phone call

President Barack Obama told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a 90 minute phone call on Saturday that his country sending troops into Ukraine is a “clear violation” of that country’s sovereignty and carried the risk of Russian isolation. His request to de-escalate the crisis and withdraw Russian forces back to bases in Crimea went unheeded. Putin stressed that the situation in Ukraine poses "real threats" to the life and health of Russian citizens and compatriots who live in Ukrainian territory. "Russia maintains the right to protect its interests and the Russian-speaking population that lives there," the Kremlin statement said after the phone call.