American Russia Today anchor quits on air over crisis in Ukraine

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse

An American anchor for the Moscow-funded Russia Today television network resigned live on air March 5 in protest at the deployment of Russia-backed forces in Ukraine.

Liz Wahl said during a broadcast that she could no longer work for the network, which she accused of "whitewashing" moves by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"My grandparents came here as refugees during the Hungarian revolution, ironically to escape the Soviet forces," she said.

"Personally, I cannot be part of a network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of Putin.

"I'm proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth, and that is why, after this newscast, I am resigning."

Her resignation comes after another U.S.-based RT host, Abby Martin, criticized the actions of pro-Russian military units on her show.

Reacting to the latest embarrassment, RT accused Wahl of a "self-promotional stunt" and questioned her professionalism.

"When a journalist disagrees with the editorial position of his or her organization, the usual course of action is to address those grievances with the editor, and, if they cannot be resolved, to quit like a professional," it said.

"But when someone makes a big public show of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt."

Putinist propaganda

Wahl told CNN that she initially hesitated befored deciding to make her views public.

"What's become very clear... especially in the face of this crisis with Crimea, is that the objective of RT has been to promote the Putinist propaganda, to promote the conflict as Putin wants us to see it and to bash the U.S.," Wahl said.

Speaking to The Daily Beast, Wahl said "it actually makes me feel sick that I worked there." 

Martin, the host of RT's "Breaking The Set," had announced toward the end of a broadcast that she was "strongly against" military intervention in Ukraine.

The network responded on that occasion by saying Martin "does not possess a deep knowledge of reality of the situation in Crimea" and promising to send her to the peninsula to "make up her own mind from the epicenter of the story."