'Russia Today' anchor quits live on air over Ukraine crisis

Canada AM: Anchor quits to protest Ukraine crisis An American anchor quit her job live on the air over what she says is the networks' 'whitewashing' of Russian President Putin's actions.

An American anchor working for a Russian-funded news channel quit on air Wednesday after accusing the network of "whitewashing" Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions.

Liz Wahl, a Washington-based correspondent for ‘Russia Today,’ said she believes in the "dissemination of the truth" and therefore could no longer work for the network.

Wahl said she is confronted with many ethical and moral challenges as a reporter with RT America, which is part of the Russia Today network.

"Especially me, personally, coming from a family whose grandparents came here as refugees during the Hungarian revolution, ironically, to escape the Soviet forces," she said.

As the daughter of a veteran and the partner of a physician who works at a military base and witnesses first-hand the price of war, Wahl said could no longer work for RT.

Veering off script, Wahl said:  "And that is why personally, I cannot be part of a network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of Putin."

Wahl cited another RT host, Abby Martin, who made headlines on Tuesday when she said on air that the Russian intervention in Crimea is wrong.

"Just because I work here, for RT, doesn't mean I don't have editorial independence. And I can't stress enough how strongly I am against any state's intervention in a sovereign nation's affairs. What Russia did is wrong," Martin said.

In a tweet, Wahl commended Martin for going "spectacularly off-message."