In a Skype chat during The Thom Hartmann Program on Monday, Stephen Cohen, a contributing editor at The Nation, spoke with Hartmann about the division in Europe and media’s role within this division, following the Greek elections and the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict.

“It’s a kind of abyss in American-Russian relations at the moment,” Cohen said. “The European Union is deeply divided politically about what to do about the Ukrainian crisis.”

Cohen said the January 25 election results in Greece will further increase political tension in Europe.

“The austerity program, which is now under attack as a result of the Greek elections, is bringing pressure on Germany, which is now the political leader in Europe…. But the worse the crisis, or political challenge to the austerity program in Europe, which comes from Germany, the more Europe divides, and the more Europe divides, the more it divides in what to do about Russia because that too is an economic burden.”

—Hilary Weaver