Sunday shows preview: Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine is expected to dominate this Sunday’s talk show circuit as the conflict intensifies.

Russia launched a full-scale assault on the neighboring country last week and on Wednesday took control of its first Ukrainian city. Meanwhile, more than a million Ukrainians have fled the country as refugees and Western allies have slapped Russia with numerous sanctions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had pleaded for NATO countries to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but the call has so far been rebuffed over concerns it could spark a large-scale war between Russia and the west.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is set to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” CBS’s “Face the Nation” and CNN’s “State of the Union,” has traveled to Europe to meet with leaders in Poland, Belgium, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia through March 8 to discuss humanitarian aid for Ukrainians and a bolstering of security forces.

Blinken on Saturday said that “the entire world stands with Ukraine” amid the Russian assault.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova is set to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and “Fox News Sunday.”

Markarova has pleaded for more assistance and weapons for Ukraine, and called for American businesses to cut ties with Russia, which many have done in recent days.

“It’s time to take sides and it’s time to take [the] Ukrainian side because we are defending our home,” the ambassador said on Sunday. “We were peaceful, we never planned any offenses, we didn’t attack anyone and we were attacked.”

The World Bank announced this week it was ending programs in Russia and Belarus and was rolling out assistance for Ukraine along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, who is set to appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” announced support for Ukraine amid the invasion in a joint statement with World Bank Group President David Malpass on Tuesday.

A number of Republican lawmakers, who appear to be growing increasingly hawkish against Russia, will also appear on this Sunday’s talk show circuit, including Florida GOP Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio.

“I hope everybody looks at this as a wakeup call to say countries like Russia, countries like China, countries like Iran, and Cuba, and Venezuela, they’re not our friends,” Scott said in an interview with The Hill this week. “The only way we’re going to get change there is if they don’t have the resources to be able to create havoc around the world.”

Scott will appear on Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures,” while Rubio is set to appear on ABC’s “This Week” and CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows:

ABC’s “This Week” — U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield; Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla).

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Secretary of State Antony Blinken; former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; Fiona Hill, former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council.

CBS’s “Face the Nation” — Blinken; Rep. Adam Schiff, (D-Calif).; Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova; International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Blinken; Rubio; Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission; Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas); Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot.

“Fox News Sunday” — Markarova; Sens. Chris Murphy, (D-Conn.), and Joni Ernst, (R-Iowa).

Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” — Petro Poroshenko, former president of Ukraine; Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and former Gov of South Carolina; Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas); Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Texas); Sen Rick Scott (R-Fla.)