Great Satan US stepping up spying on Russia over Ukraine

The United States is stepping up its intelligence and surveillance operations against Russia in order to get “inside the Russian decision making cycle” regarding the situation in Ukraine.

Top US officials have told CNN that Washington is considering more satellite coverage, communications intercepts, and intelligence gathering but no US military action is currently being planned.

A key role in Washington’s operations against Russia, CNN was told, will be played by Gen. Philip Breedlove, head of the US European Command.

“He is assessing the situation and seeing what is clearly developing into a crisis,” a US official said. “He is ensuring he is prepared. His job is to have options for the President.”

The unnamed US official also told CNN that Washington’s “ability to know what the Russians are doing there is much more limited” than US officials want.

This comes as US President Barack Obama warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in a 90-minute phone conversation on Saturday that Russia could face political and economic isolation if it does not withdraw its forces back to bases in the Ukrainian region of Crimea.

On Saturday, the Russian parliament approved Putin’s request to deploy troops to Crimea.

During his phone conversation with Putin, Obama expressed “his deep concern over Russia’s clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a White House statement said.

Putin, however, responded that “Russia retains the right to protect its interests and the Russian-speaking population of those areas,” according to a statement issued by his office.

Obama also told Putin that the US will suspend participation in preparatory meetings for the upcoming G8 summit in Sochi, Russia, which is scheduled for June.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has also threatened in a separate statement that unless “immediate and concrete steps are taken by Russia to deescalate tensions, the effect on US-Russian relations and on Russia’s international standing will be profound.”