Two of America's most powerful journalists. "Ukraine is just the appetizer" - and Putin will attack the Baltic states says George Will. Krauthammer couldn't agree more.

These are two of the most influential journalists in America, speaking on a major political talk show on Thursday.

George Will is a very influential conservative Republican political commentator, and has been a fixture on the top American political talk shows since the early 80s. He is seen as a very level-headed, realistic, thoughtful man. In 1986 the Wall Street Journal described him as "perhaps the most powerful journalist in America." He is a best-selling author and a Pulitzer prize winner. His opinion articles are syndicated very broadly in the American media.

US media in attack mode

Charles Krauthammer is almost as influential as Will. He is one of the most outspoken neo-con journalists, and is most remembered for his outspoken and persuasive championing of the Iraq war. He is seen as an intellectual leader of the neo-con movement, and is considered one of the top neo-cons in the country. He is a Pulitzer prize winner, and like Will, his opinion articles are very wildly circulated in the American media. He is also a fixture on the top political talk shows.

Here is what Will said:

“Putin is an angry man, Stalin wasn't angry. Dangerous, homicidal, but not angry.

He is like Hitler, Putin is in that he has a grievance. Hitler had the Versailles treaty and the humiliation of World War I settlement. Putin has the grievance against NATO, which was the architect of what he calls the great geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century, which was the defeat of the Soviet Union.

Compared to Putin playing with his nuclear forces, the Islamic State is child's play.

And frankly, the Ukraine is merely the appetizer. It seems to me he does want to destroy NATO. And the way to do that is to take a bite out of one of the Baltic States and watch Article 5, an attack on one is an attack on all be ignored by NATO which I have complete confidence it would be.”

Krauthammer agreed, arguing that yes, Putin is like Hitler, but "more subtle", that he is challenging the idea that Eastern Europe is "free", that Putin is threatening the Baltics, trying to destroy NATO, and that Obama is weak in his response.