In the news

Sorry? Not getting into the corner with the journalist in question, but where is equivalence an issue? I think he's just saying that both Ukraine and Snowden have been issues that have strained the relationship - which they have.

Actually, don't under-estimate how exercised the 'muricans are over Snowden.

The equivalence is more on the merkins' side (rather, the subset of merkin powers-that-be that don't give a fig for their own constitution).

On the one hand, a state agency being called out for illegal domestic activity, on the other, an aggressive nation state setting off big bombs.

I read it as the journalist making these of equal importance.