>>> THIS SUNDAY, KYIV UNDER SIEGE. UKRAINE PUTTING UP UNEXPECTED RESISTANCE. >> WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY TRIED TO PUSH INTO THE CITY? >> THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. >> WHY? >> BECAUSE WE WERE RESISTANT. >> ENTERING THE CITY OF KHARKIV. >> PLEASE, GET INTO ACTION NOW. >> UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY IS BECOMING A NATIONAL HERO, RALLYING UKRAINE AND REFUSING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. MEANWHILE, A MIGRATION CRISIS WITH MANY PEOPLE LEAVING THEIR HOMES. >>> AND THE U.S. AND EUROPE IMPOSE NEW SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA AND VLADIMIR PUTIN. THIS MORNING WE'LL GET REPORTS FROM UKRAINE, MOSCOW AND POLAND. I'LL TALK TO U.N. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, SENATORS MARK WARNER AND ROB PORTMAN. >> I CAN ONLY HOPE MY NOMINATION INSPIRES OTHER BLACK AMERICANS. >> THE PRESIDENT NOMINATES KETANJI BROWN. MY PANEL IS KORI SCHAKE, CLINT WATTS, JEREMY BASH, ANDREA MITCHELL, DANIELLE PLETKA AND KRISTEN WELKER. WELCOME TO "MEET THE PRESS." >>> GOOD SUNDAY MORNING. AS THE RUSSIAN INVASION BEGAN, UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY SAID WHAT THE WORLD WAS HEARING WAS THE SOUND OF THE IRON CURTAIN FALLING DOWN AND CLOSING RUSSIA FROM THE OTHER CIVILIZED WORLD. VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS MADE IT CLEAR HE INTENDS TO REVERSE THE FALL OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE. SO WILL HE REALLY STOP IN UKRAINE? OVERNIGHT THE RUSSIANS CONTINUED THEIR HEAVY BOMBING OF KYIV AND OTHER CITIES AND IT MOVED INTO KHARKIV, THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST CITY. THEY HAVEN'T TAKEN OVER A CITY YET. THE BIG CITY IS THE FIERCE RESISTANCE OF UKRANIAN FIGHTERS LED BY PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY. AID IS POURING IN AND FINALLY THEY MOVED TO CUT RUSSIA OFF FROM THE SWISS BANKING SYSTEM. THERE ARE SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. WILL PUTIN MOVE INTO FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS LIKE ESTONIA, LATVIA AND LITHUANIA, ALL OF WHICH ARE MEMBERS OF NATO. IS NATO READY TO COULDN'T FRONT RUSSIA MILITARILY IF HE MAKES THAT MOVE? WHAT KIND OF ADVICE IS PUTIN GETTING AND IS HE ACTING RATIONALLY? IS HE ALL THERE? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ISN'T WASHINGTON ALREADY DIVIDED AGAINST HIMSELF, EVEN ABLE TO TACKLE THIS CRISIS? WE HAVE IT ALL FROM THE BATTLE, THE REFUGEE CRISIS, TO MOSCOW. I'M GOING TO BEGIN WITH RICHARD ENGEL WHO IS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF KYIV. RICHARD, CLEARLY THE STORY IS THIS RUSSIA INABILITY TO HAVE A QUICK AND SUCCESSFUL INVASION IN UKRAINE. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? >> Reporter: WE'RE SEEING OUT -- THE UKRANIANS ARE NOT ONLY PULLING OUT A HEAVY FIGHT, THEY'RE BANDING TOGETHER. WE'RE SEEING UKRANIANS COMING OUT, MANNING CHECKPOINTS, TAKING THEIR HUNTING RIFLES, SHOTGUNS, STANDING NEXT TO UKRANIAN TROOPS. PEOPLE HAD THOUGHT BY NOW THE UKRANIAN ARMY MAY HAVE TO GO UNDERGROUND. WE'RE SEEING MANY, MANY UKRANIAN ARMORED VEHICLES, TANKS ON THE ROAD. THEY ARE CUTTING DOWN ROAD SIGNS BY THE ROADSIDE IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONFUSE ADVANCING RUSSIAN TROOPS. AND ACCORDING TO THE NUMBERS COMING OUT FROM THE UKRANIAN MILITARY, THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE DESTROYED OVER 700 RUSSIAN ARMORED VEHICLES, 150 RUSSIAN TANKS, ABOUT 50 AIRCRAFT, HELICOPTERS AND FIXED WINGS AND INFLICTED ABOUT 4,000 RUSSIAN CASUALTIES, RUSSIAN FATALITIES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF RUSSIAN TROOPS SIMPLY RUNNING OUT OF FUEL, BREAKING DOWN BY THE ROADSIDE AND BEING DETAINED, IN SOME CASES, BY AVERAGE UKRANIANS WHO ARE HANDING THEM OVER TO POLICE, HANDING THEM OVER TO AUTHORITIES. THEY ARE FIGHTING BACK VERY HARD. >> RICHARD, I'M JUST CURIOUS, WE'RE SEEING -- WHILE THE RUSSIAN MILITARY IS HAVING SUCCESS AT CUTTING UKRAINE OFF FROM PORTS AND THINGS LIKE THIS, IT'S THE FIGHTING IN THE CITIES, THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN CONTROL OF ANY CITY YET. IT'S CLEAR IN ORDER TO DO THIS, THEY MAY HAVE TO GET BLOODIER. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY EVIDENCE THAT MORE RUSSIAN TROOPS ARE COMING? >> Reporter: WELL, WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING IS THAT THE RUSSIANS SO FAR HAVE MOBILIZED ABOUT HALF OF THE TROOPS THAT THEY POSITIONED AROUND THE EDGES OF UKRAINE. AND JUST EARLIER TODAY, SOME RUSSIAN ELEMENTS PUSHED INTO THE CITY OF KHARKIV WHICH HAS ABOUT 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE IN IT. AND THE RUSSIAN TROOPS DID GET OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES WE'VE SEEN THAT, AND TRIED TO OCCUPY PART OF THE CITY, BUT THEY WERE PUSHED BACK. THERE WAS HEAVY FIGHTING, AND ACCORDING TO UKRANIAN OFFICIALS AND VIDEOS WE'VE BEEN SEEING, THE RUSSIAN TROOPS WERE REPELLED FROM THE CITY. THEY HAVEN'T CAPTURED THE CITY, THEY HAVEN'T CAPTURED EVEN OTHER, SMALLER CITIES. YES, IF THEY WANT TO TAKE THE CITIES, THEY'LL HAVE TO GO OUT OF THEIR CARS, GO HOUSE TO HOUSE, AND SO FAR THEY HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A FOOTHOLD IN ANY MAJOR POPULATION. >> RICHARD ENGEL ON THE GROUND FOR US JUST OUTSIDE OF KYIV. RICHARD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>> WE'RE ALSO SEEING NOW A HUGE REFUGEE CRISIS. JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS KELLY COBIELLA. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? >> Reporter: WE'RE SEEING WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE TRAVELED FOR HOURS. WE'RE SEEING EMOTIONAL REUNIONS AT BORDER CROSSINGS IN HUNGARY AND ROMANIAROMANIA, AND OF COUR IN POLAND WHERE THEY HAVE OPENED THEIR BORDERS, OPENED THEIR ARMS TO AS MANY UKRANIAN REFUGEES AS ARRIVE. BUT THE JOURNEY IS GETTING MORE PERILOUS. WE SPOKE TO A WOMAN WHO WAS ON THIS TRAIN THAT ARRIVED FROM LVIV, A CITY FROM THE WEST, THIS MORNING. SHE SAID THIS JOURNEY WHICH NORMALLY TAKES TWO HOURS TOOK 16 HOURS. THEY LEFT YESTERDAY. SHE SAID AT ONE POINT THEY HAD TO STOP BECAUSE THERE WAS FIGHTING NEARBY, THERE WERE EXPLOSIONS, THEY HAD TO WAIT UNTIL IT WAS SAFE TO GO. THEY ALSO HAD TO REROUTE AROUND A BOMBED-OUT RAIL BRIDGE. SO IT'S GETTING MORE DIFFICULT, EVEN FOR PEOPLE FROM THE WEST, TO GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY. THEY'RE GETTING OUT BY TRAIN AND THEY'RE ALSO GETTING OUT BY FOOT AT BORDER CROSSINGS, WHICH, CHUCK, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST FEW DAYS, THE LINES ARE INCREDIBLY LONG AND PEOPLE ARE WAITING OUT IN THE COLD, IN THE ELEMENTS, JUST ACROSS. >> KELLY COBIELLA, THANK YOU. >>> NOW LET'S GO TO MOSCOW AND KEIR SIMMONS. KEIR, WHAT'S FASCINATING IS SO MANY RUSSIAN PEOPLE ARE FINDING A WAY TO EXPRESS THEIR OPPOSITION TO THIS ACTION. TELL US ABOUT IT. >> Reporter: THAT'S RIGHT, CHUCK. THESE ARE EARLY DAYS BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN UKRAINE IS SHAKING A RUSSIAN SOCIETY. THE NUMBER OF PROTESTERS ARRESTED NOW UP TO 3,368, HUNDREDS OF JOURNALISTS SIGNING A PETITION, THE DIRECTOR OF THE VALLEY SIGNING A PETITION. EVEN THE CHILDREN OF OLIGARCHS AND KREMLIN OFFICIALS SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WAR. EVEN IN HOTELS THEY'RE ASKING FOR CASH, AFRAID THAT CREDIT CARDS WON'T WORK IN THE DAYS AHEAD. PRESIDENT PUTIN GAVE AN ADDRESS TO THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE THIS MORNING WHERE HE PRAISED THE SPECIAL OPERATION OF PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF DONBAS. HE DID NOT MENTION THE ASSAULT ON KYIV, SUGGESTING EVEN PRESIDENT PUTIN HIMSELF IS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW IT MAY BE GOING THERE. IN RESPONSE, PRESIDENT PUTIN'S ALLIES ARE THREATENING BOTH THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE IN UKRAINE. AN INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY IS NOW SAYING THAT SENDING MONEY TO UKRAINE, IF RUSSIANS DO THAT, THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED TREASON AND IS THREATENING 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR THAT, AND THOSE THREATS AGAINST UKRAINE ITSELF, PRESIDENT PUTIN'S CHECHEN WARLORD IS CALLING ON PUTIN TO CHANGE TACTICS AND START LARGE-RANGE OPERATIONS. A CHILLING THOUGHT, CHUCK. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>> NOW TO LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.N. AMBASSADOR. WELCOME TO "MEET THE PRESS." >> THANK YOU. I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE. >> IN THE LAST 72 HOURS WE'VE SEEN A DAILY ESCALATION IN SANCTIONS FROM THE WESTERN ALLIANCE, WHETHER SOMETIMES LED BY THE UNITED STATES, OBVIOUSLY EUROPEANS HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE SWIFT SYSTEM. I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHY IS THIS SUCH A SLOW ESCALATION? WHY COULDN'T WE HAVE DONE THIS ON THURSDAY? AND WE HAVE SUCH A ROUGH MOVEMENT. >> WE MADE IT CLEAR WE WILL ESCALATE AS THE RUSSIANS ESCALATE. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE DONE. THE PRESIDENT, IN ALL OF HIS ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE, INDICATED THAT WE WILL BE PREPARED TO PUT HARSH SANCTIONS ON THE RUSSIANS. THEY WERE AWARE THAT THOSE SANCTIONS WERE COMING, AND WE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT IN APPLYING THOSE SANCTIONS AS WE'VE SEEN THE ESCALATION BY THE RUSSIANS, IN COORDINATION, OF COURSE, WITH ALL OF OUR EUROPEAN COLLEAGUES. >> YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE FIRST ANNOUNCING SANCTIONS, WE WERE TOLD IT WAS ABOUT DETERRENCE. I WANT TO PLAY A FEW CLIPS HERE FROM VARIOUS OFFICIALS. >> THE PRESIDENT BELIEVES THAT SANCTIONS ARE INTENDED TO DETER. >> THE PURPOSE OF THE SANCTIONS HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE DETERRENCE. >> THE SANCTIONS ARE DESIGNED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO TRY TO DETER RUSSIA FROM TAKING FURTHER AGGRESSION. >> THEN PRESIDENT BIDEN ADMITTED THIS. >> NO ONE EXPECTED THE SANCTIONS TO PREVENT ANYTHING FROM HAPPENING. >> SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THIS END NOW? MEANING, WE'VE GOT THE SANCTIONS DID NOT DETER. WE PUT IN PRETTY HARSH SANCTIONS. WE'VE GONE THROUGH HOW IT COULD BE SLIGHTLY HARSHER. BUT CAN THIS END WITH SANCTIONS ALONE? >> CHUCK, WE'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR-EYED ON THIS FROM THE BEGINNING. AS THE PRESIDENT NOTED, WE WERE GOING TO APPLY HARSH SANCTIONS. INITIALLY THEY WERE AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT RUSSIA FROM TAKING THIS AGGRESSIVE ACTION. BUT IT IS VLADIMIR PUTIN'S DECISION ON WHETHER HE WILL STOP WHAT HE'S DOING AND LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF THE WORLD, THE VOICES THAT HAVE CONDEMNED HIM, OR HE WILL CONTINUE. IF HE CONTINUES, WE'LL CONTINUE TO APPLY SANCTIONS. AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE PREPARING FOR JUST THIS ACTION, AND THE PRESIDENT HAS APPROVED MOVING MORE TROOPS TO SUPPORT OUR NATO COLLEAGUES. WE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO THE UKRANIAN GOVERNMENT JUST OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, CLOSE TO A BILLION DOLLARS AND BILLIONS SINCE THIS ALL STARTED. SO WE'RE CLEAR-EYED. THIS HAS BEEN A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH. WE HOPED THAT THE RUSSIANS WOULD LISTEN TO THE PRESSURE THAT WE WERE PUTTING THEM UNDER, BUT THEY DIDN'T, SO THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FEEL ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL PRESSURES ON THEIR ECONOMY, AND THEY WILL FEEL THE PAIN. >> PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY CALLED ON RUSSIA TO BE REMOVED FROM THE UNITED NATIONS. YOU AND I WERE TALKING BEFOREHAND. WE KNOW THERE IS A CHARTER, IT CAN'T BE DONE WITH JUST A VOTE OR ANYTHING LIKE THIS. BUT IT IS ODD THAT RUSSIA IS IN CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL RIGHT NOW. IT'S A ROTATION, I GET HOW THAT WORKS, BUT THE WORLD IS TRYING TO CONDEMN RUSSIA. HOW CAN THE U.N. PLAY A CREDIT -- CRITICAL ROLE HERE? >> I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH YOUR OPINION THAT THIS IS RECKLESS. WE'VE HAD MANY MEETINGS, AND JUST THIS FRIDAY ALONE, WE PUT FORWARD A RESOLUTION IN WHICH 81 COUNTRIES CO-SPONSORED WITH US. 44 OF THEM STOOD AT THE PODIUM WITH ME. SO WE'RE NOT BEING FECKLESS. RUSSIA IS HEARING A VERY UNIFIED SECURITY COUNCIL, AND IT HAS TO BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THEM. THEY ARE A MEMBER OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, AND UNTIL MONDAY THEY WILL BE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL. AS YOU NOTED, IT'S ROTATIONAL, BUT THEY CAN'T PREVENT THE SECURITY COUNCIL WILL TAKING ACTIONS. AND WE HAVE TAKEN SOME VERY STRONG ACTIONS SINCE THIS STARTED. >> YOU EXPECT ANOTHER VOTE TO TRY TO CONDEMN WHAT RUSSIA IS DOING? I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK OF THAT. IF SO, DO YOU THINK THIS TIME INDIA, UAE, OTHERS WILL GET ON BOARD? >> WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL TODAY IN WHICH WE WILL MAKE A DECISION TO CALL FOR AN EMERGENCY SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WHICH WE PLAN TO HAVE ON MONDAY, AND THEN HOPEFULLY LATER IN THE WEEK WE WILL HAVE A VOTE POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY ON A GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION THAT THE RUSSIANS CANNOT VETO. >> I GO BACK TO, IS THERE ANY MECHANISM AT ALL TO PENALIZE THE RUSSIANS' BEHAVIOR AT THE UNITED NATIONS? IS THERE ANYTHING? >> WE CAN ISOLATE THEM. WE CAN ISOLATE THEM IN THE UNITED NATIONS, WE CAN ISOLATE THEM IN SPECIAL AGENCIES. THEY ARE FEELING THAT ISOLATION. THERE WILL BE A MEETING IN GENEVA AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL WHERE THEY, AGAIN, WILL BE CALLED OUT AND THEIR AGGRESSIONS WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD. SO, AGAIN, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TOOLS TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE RUSSIANS, AND WE'RE USING ALL OF THOSE TOOLS. >> ALL RIGHT. AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON AND SHARING THE ADMINISTRATION'S PERSPECTIVE. LET'S HOPE THIS WORKS. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHUCK. >>> WE HAVE SENATOR MARK WARNER AND SENATOR ROB PORTMAN. THEY SIT ON THE RELATIONS COMMITTEE. THEY TRAVELED TOGETHER LAST WEEK. GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO "MEET THE PRESS." WE HAVE SOME NEWS THAT HAS TRICKLED OUT IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES. PRESIDENT PUTIN HAS AGREED TO MEET WITH A RUSSIAN DELEGATION ON THE BORDER OF UKRAINE IN BELARUS. OBVIOUSLY WE'LL ALWAYS DEPLOY DIPLOMACY IF DIPLOMACY CAN WORK HERE. ANY ADVICE TO HOW WE CAN MANAGE THESE NEGOTIATIONS? >> I THINK UKRANIANS KNOW HOW TO DO IT, AND THEY ALSO KNOW TO BE DISTRUSTFUL OF ANYTHING RUSSIA SAYS SINCE IT'S BEEN PROPAGANDA, DISINFORMATION. BY THE WAY, BELARUS IS WHERE THEY WANTED TO HAVE THE MEETING, AND BELARUS IS FIGHTING THE ATTACK ALONG WITH UKRAINE. THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE STANDING FIRMLY WITH UKRAINE. THERE ARE OVER 40 RALLIES AROUND THE COUNTRY TODAY IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE. I'LL BE AT ONE IN CLEVELAND, OHIO THIS AFTERNOON. BUT AROUND THE WORLD YOU SEE THIS, INCLUDING IN RUSSIA. THE WORLD IS STANDING UP AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS SINCE 9/11. IN THE END, THIS WILL BE HELPFUL. WE HAVE TO TIGHTEN UP THESE SANCTIONS FURTHER. IN YOUR CONVERSATION WITH THE AMBASSADOR, TOUGH SANCTIONS WERE NOT PUT IN PLACE. WE SHOULD HAVE AND COULD HAVE DONE MORE, AND A LOT OF US WERE CALLING FOR THAT. WE ARE WHERE WE ARE NOW, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO PUT ALL RUSSIAN BANKS UNDER THIS SWIFT BAND. >> VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS ORDERED HIS RUSSIAN NUCLEAR DETERRENCE FORCES ON ALERT. HOW SHOULD THE UNITED STATES RESPOND TO THAT? >> FIRST OF ALL, THE UNITED STATES RESPONSE HAS BEEN STRONGER BECAUSE WE'VE ACTUALLY BROUGHT ALL OF OUR EUROPEAN AND OTHER ALLIES ALONG WITH US. ROB AND I WERE IN MUNICH LAST WEEK. THE EUROPEANS WERE BELIEVING AND MOSTLY IN BUT NOT FULLY IN. LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. WE'VE GOT NORD STREAM 2 SANCTIONS. WE PERSONALLY SANCTIONED PUTIN. HE NOW JOINS GADHAFI AND ASSAGE WITH SANCTIONS. AND YOU'RE SEEING EVEN FORMER RUSSIAN ALLIES LIKE KAZAK SKAZA. HE'S NOT DONE EVERYTHING, HE'S NOT THROWN THE CYBERATTACKS LIKE WE EXPECTED. WHAT HE'S ALSO BEEN ABLE TO DO IS UNIFY THE VAST MAJORITY OF US AND THE SENATE, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ALONG WITH NATO AND HE'S GOING TO PAY THE PRICE. >> MARCO RUBIO THE OTHER NIGHT SAID, I WISH I COULD SHARE MORE. IT'S EVIDENT THAT SOMETHING IS OFF WITH PUTIN. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN A KILLER, BUT IT'S BEEN A MISTAKE TO THINK THAT PUTIN RADIO REACT THE SAME WAY HE WOULD FIVE YEARS AGO. WHAT DO OUR INTELLIGENCE FOLKS TELL YOU? >> CHUCK, AS A MEMBER OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, I'M NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON THE SPECIFIC INTELLIGENCE. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, PUTIN HAS BEEN MORE AND MORE ISOLATED. HE'S NOT BEEN IN THE KREMLIN FOR THE MOST PART, HE'S BEEN DOWN IN HIS PLACE IN SOCHI OR HIS DOCK OUTSIDE OF MOSCOW. WHEN YOU ARE AN AUTHORITARIAN LEADER AND YOU HAVE LESS AND LESS INPUTS AND YOU ONLY WANT TO SAY TO THE BOSS, YOU'RE RIGHT, I THINK THAT LEADS TO MISCALCULATION. I THINK THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE INVASION IN UKRAINE. >> SENATOR PORTMAN, HE WENT INTO UKRAINE. HE DID NOT GO INTO LATVIA LITHUANIA CORRESPOND -- OR ESTONIA. SHOULD WE HAVE BROUGHT THEM INTO THE NATO ALLIANCE? >> EVEN NOW, CHUCK, WE SHOULD BE OFFERING UKRAINE AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHO WANT TO COME FORWARD. JORDAN IS ONE. I'M TOLD SWEDEN AND TWO OTHERS AT SOME POINT. THERE IS A ROAD MAP TO GET INTO NATO. MANY OF US HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR NATO TO ALLOW UKRAINE TO GO DOWN THAT PATH. WE SHOULD HAVE DONE IT. IF WE HAD DONE IT, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE SITUATION WE'RE IN NOW. OTHER PEOPLE SAID THE OPPOSITE. THEY SAID, WELL, IF WE ALLOW THEM INTO NATO, THIS WILL MAKE RUSSIA MAD. WELL, HERE THEY ARE WITH THIS ATROCITY IN UKRAINE, KILLING HUNDREDS OF UKRANIANS, WOUNDING THOUSANDS OF THEM. UNPRECEDENTED SINCE WORLD WAR II TO HAVE ANOTHER COUNTRY INVADE ANOTHER'S BORDERS. IF THEY WERE IN NATO, I DON'T THINK HE WOULD BE DOING IT. PUTIN MISCALCULATED. HE THOUGHT THIS WOULD DIVIDE NATO. IN FACT, IT HAS STRENGTHENED NATO AND BROUGHT US TOGETHER IN A WAY WE HAVEN'T SEEN FOR YEARS. >> WAS IT A MISTAKE FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN TO RULE OUT ANY TRIPS TO UKRAINE FOR THAT REGION? WE ALWAYS HAD A POLICY OF STRATEGIC AMBIGUITY WHEN IT COMES TO IRAN. SHOULD WE HAVE DONE THIS HERE? >> I DON'T THINK AMERICA WOULD HAVE WANTED UKRANIAN TROOPS ON THE GROUND. NATO A YEAR AGO WAS BROKEN UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP. THE NATO NATIONS WERE NOT FULLY BOUGHT INTO THIS THREAT. THEY ARE FULLY BOUGHT IN AT THIS POINT, AND I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE -- I STILL WORRY ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF PUTIN SHUTS DOWN THE POWER IN UKRAINE, DOES THAT SHUT DOWN THE POWER THERE AS WELL? >> WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT A CYBERATTACK? >> CYBERATTACK IS PART OF AMBIGUITY. IF YOU SEE PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE THE HOSPITALS GO DOWN, YOU ARE RAPIDLY APPROACHING AN ARTICLE 5 VIOLATION. >> ARE YOU OPEN TO NATO EXPANSION? >> I'M OPEN TO IT. THAT ALSO HAS TO BE DONE IN CONCERT WITH ALL 30 NATO NATIONS. FRANKLY, NATO WAS RIGHT BY NOT, DURING PUTIN'S PRESSURE CAMPAIGN, BY SAYING WE SHOULD TAKE AWAY THAT RIGHT TO HAVE UKRAINE JOIN NATO. >> SENATOR PORTMAN, I'M GOING TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT FOR ONE QUICK SUBJECT. THERE IS A SUPREME COURT NOMINEE. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU TO VOTE TOR)? CONFIRM HER, SENATOR PORTMAN? >> I'M GOING TO LOOK AT HER RECORD AND LOOK AT HER QUALIFICATIONS AS I THINK PEOPLE WILL IN THIS CASE. I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE AS PARTISAN AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, FOR EXAMPLE, AS IT WAS WITH JUDGE KAVANAUGH WHEN HE WAS NOMINATED. AS YOU KNOW, SHE'LL BE REPLACING ANOTHER LIBERAL IN THE COURT. I THINK THE REST OF US ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE WILL BE LOOKING AT HER RECORD, LOOKING AT HER QUALIFICATIONS. WE DON'T BELIEVE WE NEED TO LEGISLATE FROM THE BENCH. WE BELIEVE WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THE RIGHTS AND THE CONSTITUTION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. >> SENATOR WARNER AND SENATOR PORTMAN. KORI -- I ASSUME YOU'RE WITH HER, SENATOR WARNER? >> BILL AND KORI WILL REQUIRE, WHEN IT TAKES PLACE, YOU WANT TO MAKE IS STRONGER AND SAFER, LET'S LOOK AT IT NEXT WEEK. >> SENATOR PORTMAN AND SENATOR WARNER, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING TOGETHER AND LET'S HOPE THE FOLKS FROM UKRAINE GET SOME RELIEF. >>> ON THE MILITARY AND DIPLOMACY FRONTS, ABOUT HOW THIS MIGHT PLAY OUT. >> BECAUSE OF ONE MADMAN WHO IS AN INSANE PERSON, I'M SO WHAT H HAVE OTHER OPTIONS BESIDES SENDING MILITARY EQUIPMENT? WE BROUGHT THREE EXPERTS TO DISCUSS THE WAR. KORI SCHAKE, CYBER EXPERT CLINT WATTS AT THE RESEARCH POLY INSTITUTE, AND MICHAEL McFALL. KORI, LET ME START WITH YOU. FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE SENDING ALL THIS MILITARY AID, WE'RE SENDING ALL THIS EQUIPMENT TO A COUNTRY IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR. JUST LOGISTICALLY, IS IT REALISTIC WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET ALL THESE ARMS TO THE UKRANIANS? >> SURE. THE UKRANIANS ARE ALREADY IN CHARGE OF THEIR BORDERS. SEVERAL NATO COUNTRIES ARE ALREADY CONVOYING MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO THE UKRANIANS. >> THE NEXT STEP HERE FOR US IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, SHOULD WE EXPECT MORE TROOPS TO BE SENT TO NATO COUNTRIES, IN EASTERN EUROPE? >> WE'RE SENDING A LOT OF TROOPS TO NATO COUNTRIES. THIS IS A GOOD THING, REMINDING THE RUSSIANS THAT WE'RE PREPARED TO DEFEND OURSELVES AND DEFEND OUR ALLIES IS A STABILIZING MESSAGE RIGHT NOW. >> CLINT, WE BROUGHT YOU HERE, I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF US THAT ARE SURPRISED WE HAVEN'T SEEN A CYBERATTACK AGAINST THE UNITED STATES, AGAINST THE WEST. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING IN YOUR RESEARCH? >> IT'S AN ONION, RIGHT? IF YOU LOOK AT THE CORE, NATO HAS BEEN UNDER CYBERATTACKS FOR YEARS. YOU MIGHT SEE THEY PUT OUT WARNINGS ABOUT THAT, SO WE NEED TO RATCHET IT UP. THIS REALLY SPEAKS TO THE POINT OF WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT CYBER RESPONSE? WE'VE BEEN CLUELESS ON THIS FOR THE LAST DECADE. WHAT ABOUT NATO? IS AN ATTACK ON ONE AN ATTACK ON ALL? IT'S TIME TO FIGURE THINGS SO WE HAVE CYBER DEFENSE. >> EARLIER THIS WEEK THERE WERE REPORTS THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS BEEN GIVEN THE OPTION OF USING CYBER CAPABILITIES AGAINST RUSSIA. HOW LIKELY IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN, OR WAS THAT PROBABLY DESIGNED TO SAVE A RATTLED RUSSIA? >> I THINK IT'S GOOD. THERE ARE THREE OPTION TO SEE THIS WAR THAT PUTIN CAN USE. IF WE CAN KEEP IT LIMITED, WE CAN USE IT IN SCOPE AND WE GO OFF SPECIFIC TARGETS. MAYBE IT'S THE MILITARY, MAYBE IT'S PARTS OF RUSSIA, MAYBE IT'S THE BANKING SYSTEM TO SEND A MESSAGE. I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING BETWEEN ABSOLUTE DESTRUCTION OF CYBERSPACE AND NOT DOING ANYTHING AT ALL. >> AMBASSADOR, LET'S TALK ABOUT MAYBE THAT'S WHAT PEACE TALKS ARE ABOUT, OR THERE'S A JULIUS CAESAR SOLUTION. WHAT DO YOU SEE RIGHT NOW WITH PUTIN AND DO YOU THINK HE'S A RATIONAL ACTOR RIGHT NOW? >> YOU KNOW, CHUCK, THAT WORD RATIONAL ACTOR IS VERY ELASTIC, RIGHT? TO GET KICKED OUT OF S.W.I.F.T. LIKE WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AND THEN HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA GET IN FRONT OF HIS GENERALS AND SAY WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR A NUCLEAR WAR, THAT DOESN'T SOUND RATIONAL TO ME. I'M NERVOUS THAT PRESIDENT PUTIN HAS BEEN BELIEVING HIS RHETORIC FOR DECADES. HE'S BEEN IN POWER FOR 22 YEARS. HE DOESN'T LISTEN TO HIS AIDES. HE'S BEEN VERY DISMISSIVE OF ANYONE AROUND HIM, DOESN'T COME OUT OF HIS COMPOUND, AND UNDER COVID HE'S BEEN MORE ISOLATED. IF YOU WATCH AND LISTEN TO HIM, I'VE BEEN WATCHING HIM SINCE HE WAS PRIME MINISTER IN 1999. I SAT IN A ROOM WITH I AM FOR FIVE YEARS WHEN I WORKED FOR THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, SO I KNOW THAT HE'S COMPLETELY UNHINGED IN THE WAY HE TALKED ABOUT THE REGIME. JUST YESTERDAY TALKING ABOUT ZELENSKYY BEING A NEO-NAZI -- HE'S JEWISH -- AND A DRUG ADDICT. THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE SOMEBODY WHO WILL SIT DOWN AND NEGOTIATE A PEACEFUL OUTCOME. >> IF THAT'S THE CASE, HOW DO YOU CREATE POLICY IF YOU KNOW HE'S AN IRRATIONAL ACTOR? >> WELL, ONE DETERRENCE, OF COURSE, WE NEED TO BE VIGILANT. THIS NUCLEAR THREAT, ESPECIALLY, I THINK WE NEED TO RESPOND TO. I WOULD HOPE THAT GENERAL MILLEY, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS, WOULD BE CALLING HIS COUNTERPART TODAY TO CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT HE MEANT BY THOSE STATEMENTS. NUMBER TWO, I THINK THIS IS ABOUT THE WAR. THE SANCTIONS ARE GREAT, I SUPPORT THEM 100%, BUT THEY TAKE MONTHS AND YEARS TO HAVE EFFECT. IT'S REALLY ABOUT WINNING THE WAR ON THE GROUND. WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE UKRANIANS WHO ARE FIGHTING. AND, THREE, IF HE SUCCEEDS IN HIS ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE, WHICH IS REGIME CHANGE, AND FORCE ZELENSKYY OUT OF POWER, ARREST HIM OR KILL HIM, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE RESISTANCE. I AM CONVINCED, CHUCK, THERE IS NO WAY THAT UKRANIANS WILL SUBMIT TO SOME KIND OF PUPPET REGIME FROM RUSSIA. THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT TO UNRAVEL THAT COULD TAKE A LONG TIME. >> THEY'VE TWICE GOTTEN RID OF PUPPET REGIME'S COURT. IT'S FASCINATING WAKING UP EVERY MORNING SEEING ZELENSKYY ALIVE AND THRIVING, AND YOU CAN SEE THE WESTERN ALLIANCE HAVING THE SAME FEELING GOING, WE SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE. I GET THE SENSE THERE IS A LOT OF REGRET IN EUROPE. >> WELL, ALL OF US SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE FOR THE PROTECTION AND DEFENSE OF UKRAINE. BUT NOW WHAT PUTIN IS TRYING TO DO IN PART WITH THIS NUCLEAR THREAT IS COLLAPSE WESTERN SOLIDARITY. WHAT HE WANTED WAS TO END THE POST-COLD WAR ORDER, AND HE'S REJUVENATED IT. >> IT HAS NEVER FELT MORE RELEVANT. >> IT'S A DELIGHT THAT WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE STANDING WITH SHOULDERS TOGETHER. >> WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OUR RESPONSE TO BE TO THIS CYBER REACTION? >> I HOPE IT'S THAT WE, TOO, HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS, AND WE, TOO, ARE READY TO DEFEND OURSELVES, OUR ALLIES AND OUR INTERESTS. >> CLINT, SHOULD WE EXPECT ACTION FROM PUTIN WITH CYBER? >> WE DON'T HAVE ACTION IN THIS COUNTRY AROUND CYBER. WE KEEP SAYING PUTIN IS PLAYING CHESS. HE IS NOT. HE'S PLAYING POKER AND WE NEED TO CALL HIS BLUFF. THE SUPPLY LINES ARE NOT THERE. HE CANNOT STABILIZE HIS REAR AREAS. WE HAVE A CHANCE TO DEFEND PUTIN AND STABILIZE HIS LOSS. >> THANK YOU, GUYS. MIKE, KORI, CLINT, GOOD STUFF. >>> THERE IS A RALLY AROUND THE FLAG EFFECT. WHAT ABOUT PRESIDENT BIDEN? >>> WELCOME BACK. PANELISTS HERE, ANDREA MITCHELL, JEREMY BASH, CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, DANIELLE PLETKA AND MSNBC'S KRISTEN WELKER. THE PRESIDENT OVERNIGHT SEEMED TO MAYBE GET MORE EUROPEAN BUY-IN ON THE S.W.I.F.T. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ALMOST DISMISSIVE OF IT BEFORE. IS THIS WHITE HOUSE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE EUROPEANS HAVEN'T GONE FURTHER? >> PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID DURING THAT PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THERE WERE DIVISIONS AMONG THE EUROPEANS. BEHIND THE SCENES I'M TOLD THERE WAS A LOT OF ARM TWISTING TRYING TO GET EVERYONE ON BOARD. SO WHAT YOU SAW YESTERDAY WAS THE EUROPEANS COME TOGETHER AND AGREE TO KICK CERTAIN RUSSIAN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS OUT OF THE S.W.I.F.T. BANKING INSTITUTIONS, AND I THINK THAT CAUGHT THE RUSSIANS OFF GUARD, AS HAS JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE WE WITNESSED, THE PROTESTS IN THE STREET, IN RUSSIA, THE FACT THAT ZELENSKYY HAS BEEN SO DEFIANT, THE FACT THAT THE UKRANIANS HAVE HELD THEM OFF NIGHT AFTER NIGHT. WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO DO NOW? I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING TO CONGRESS FOR MORE SUPPORT. >> HOW INVOLVED ARE WE GOING TO GET OVERTLY OR COVERTLY INSIDE UKRAINE? WHAT THEY DID ON S.W.I.F.T., THERE ARE SOME BIG HOLES, SWISS CHEESE, REALLY, ON S.W.I.F.T., BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE BELGIAN LEADERS, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO IMPROVE IT NEXT WEEK. THEY HAVE BIG CUTS ON ENERGY TRANSACTIONS. THAT'S TO PROTECT GERMANY, ITALY AND OTHERS. WHICH BANKS ARE THOSE? THEY COULD BE SOME OF THE WORSE OLIGARCH-CONTROLLED BANKS. >> PUTIN LOOKS ON HIS HEELS, AGREED? >> HE LOOKS ON HIS HEELS. >> CAN WE KEEP HIM THERE? >> NO, THIS IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS COUNTRY. THEY'RE NOT AS SERIOUS AS WE ARE, BUT THEY HAVE A BIG MILITARY, THEY HAVE LOTS OF WEAPONS, AND THEY CAN DO EVENTUALLY WHAT THEY WANT IN UKRAINE. THE PROBLEM IS AT WHAT COST, AND EVENTUALLY, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT ANDREA RAISES. I DO THINK THE SANCTIONS ARE A PART OF THIS. THE FACT THAT THE SANCTIONS HAVE A LOT OF LOOPHOLES IS A BIG PROBLEM. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SUPPLY TO THE UKRANIANS IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THEM? WHAT ABOUT POLAND AND OTHERS WHO ARE DEFEATING THEIR OWN STOCKS TO SUPPORT UKRANIANS. NONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED. >> THEY DID SAY LAST NIGHT THEY ARE DISARMING THE CENTRAL BANK. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE TO DO. >> DO YOU REALIZE THE TREASURY HAS DONE NOTHING? I LOOKED ALL OVER THE TREASURY SITE TO SEE WHAT THE RULES WERE. NOTHING YET. >> THIS IS A HUGE MISCALCULATION BY PUTIN, AND I THINK THIS IS LIKE THE SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN, AND THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE UNITED STATES AND THE WEST TO DELIVER A VERY FATAL BLOW TO RUSSIA'S AMBITIONS ON THE GLOBAL STAGE. I THINK SWALLOWING UKRAINE, A COUNTRY THE SIZE OF TEXAS WITH 40 MILLION PEOPLE, IS UNPRECEDENTED SINCE WORLD WAR II. IF THE UNITED STATES CAN TRAIN AND EQUIP THE UKRANIANS, AND, I THINK, ENGAGE IN A SECOND CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, BASICALLY THE SEQUEL TO THE MOVIE AND THE BOOK, WHICH IS ARMY TRAINING A DETERMINED FORCE THAT WILL SHOOT RUSSIANS OUT OF THE SKY, OPEN THE TANKS LIKE JAVELINS AND KILL RUSSIANS WHICH IS WHAT OUR EQUIPMENT IS DOING, I THINK IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO HIT PUTIN HARD. >> I THINK DEFIANCE HAS BROUGHT PUTIN A LITTLE MORE TIME AND BOUGHT WASHINGTON A LITTLE MORE TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO. THESE ARE LOOPHOLES WITH THEM SAYING, WE HAVE TO DO MORE. THEY'RE SAYING, LET'S GET BACK TO THE TABLE AND FIGHT. >> I THINK A LITTLE BIT OF JOHN -- JON STEWART, THE POLITICALLY ACTIVE COMEDIAN, NOW PRESIDENT, AND THE QUESTION IS ARE THEY GOING TO BE CRUSHED? THEY KNOW HOW TO CRUSH THEM IF THEY WANT TO. IF PUTIN IS CRAZY ENOUGH TO TAKE ON THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THE CIVILIAN POPULATIONS AND MOVE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF TANKS, YOU SAW THE TANK THAT WENT UP AND SWALLOWED THE CAR, THE DRIVER SURVIVED, BUT IF HE'S CRAZY ENOUGH TO DO THAT, YES, THERE WILL BE REACTIONS, BUT -- LOOK AT THESE PROTESTS. THE PROTESTERS WILL BE CRUSHED. >> WHAT IS OUR ABILITY TO GUM UP -- IF WE'RE CONCERNED THAT PUTIN IS CRAZY ENOUGH TO TRY A TACTICAL NUKE, THAT'S BEEN MY CONCERN, THAT HE MIGHT TRY SOMETHING. DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP THIS? >> WE HAVE TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN EUROPE, CHUCK. WE HAVE MASSIVE MISSILE DEFENSES TO PROTECT THE HOMELAND. BUT IF HE FIRES OFF A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN EUROPE, THAT'S A TRAGIC SITUATION, AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP HIM IS TO DETER HIM AND SAY, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY 20, 30, 50 TIMES HARDER. >> IS THE GERMAN SOLUTION REALISTIC? >> THE ONE WHERE THEY SAID TO STAB HIM IN THE ROTUNDA? >> IF YOU SQUEEZE THE RICH ELITES AROUND HIM, CAN THEY DO SOMETHING? >> NO, I DON'T THINK IT'S REALISTIC. PUTIN IS A MUCH SAVVIER, MUCH MORE SHREWD TYRANT. HE'S NOT GOING TO LET ANYONE STAB HIM IN THE ROTUNDA. >> HE'S NOT TALKING TO THE LAVROVS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE. >> KRISTEN, DOES HE REALIZE THE STATE OF THE UNION WILL ONLY BE REMEMBERED ABOUT WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT RUSSIA? >> I HAVE ASKED IF HE RECAST HIS ENTIRE SPEECH. THERE ARE SOME WHO WANT HIM TO MAKE THIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS A MESSAGE THAT WE ARE IN A FIGHT RIGHT NOW, DEMOCRAIES AGAINST AUTOCRACIES. IT'S NOT CLEAR THEY'RE PREPARED TO GO THAT FAR. IT SEEMS THEY'RE STILL VERY FOCUSED ON INFLATION -- >> IT'S VERY WEIRD TO HEAR THE WORDS BUILD BACK BETTER. >> CHUCK, THIS IS THE THING. THIS IS THE MOMENT WHEN FOREIGN POLICY IS INTERSECTING WITH DOMESTIC POLITICS. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN RUSSIA RIGHT NOW, EVERY STEP THE U.S. TAKES IMPACTS INFLATION. SO THE WHITE HOUSE HAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS THAT THE PRESIDENT IS LISTENING, THAT HE IS PREPARED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. >> I DON'T THINK THE POLLS AGREE WITH HIM. >> RIGHT, BUT THE QUESTION IS, IS HE GOING TO DO IT? > IS. >>> WELCOME BACK. RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE IS NOT JUST AN INTERNATIONAL STORY. IT'S GOING TO HAVE DEEP IMPACTS IN THE UNITED STATES AS WELL, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR ECONOMY, WHICH WE KNOW WILL IMPACT HOW VOTERS FEEL ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTRY AND ITS LEADERSHIP. THE SIMPLEST WAY TO LOOK AT IT: THE DOW. IT'S JUST ONE INDEX THAT PEOPLE INVEST ALL OVER, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT HAS AN IMPACT ON THE NATIONAL PSYCHE. THE DOW DOWN SOME 7% SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. IT'S BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY VOLATILE IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. ACTUALLY WENT DOWN AND MADE A NICE LITTLE COMEBACK END OF THE WEEK BUT STILL DOWN OVERALL AS THIS CRISIS HAS CONTINUED. IT'S NOT JUST ON STOCKS. THE PRICE OF OIL, THAT WE'VE ALSO SEEN CLIMB ABOUT 24% SINCE THE START OF THE YEAR. YES, AS RUSSIA, AS THEY WERE BUILDING UP TROOPS AROUND UKRAINE, WE KEPT SEEING THIS NUMBER INCH UP. BY THE WAY, THE PRESIDENT DID TRY TO GET SAUDI ARABIA TO PUMP SOME MORE OIL. THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET. THIS WILL EASILY HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMY. THEN THERE'S THIS. YOU REALIZE RUSSIA AND UKRAINE ACCOUNT FOR ONE-THIRD OF ALL WHEAT AROUND THE WORLD? WHILE WE DON'T GET A LOT OF WHEAT FROM UKRAINE, IT WILL PUSH UP THE PRICE OVERALL WHICH WILL RAISE THE PRICE OF A LOAF OF BREAD AT THE GROCERY STORE. >>> WHEN WE COME BACK, THE STORY THAT MOST OTHER WEEKS WOU . >>> FOR TOO LONG, OUR GOVERNMENT, OUR COURTS, HAVEN'T LOOKED LIKE AMERICA. I BELIEVE IT'S TIME WE HAVE A COURT THAT REFLECTS THE FULL TALENTS AND GREATNESS OF OUR NATION. >> ANDREA MITCHELL, WE WERE JUST TALKING WITH KRISTEN THERE AT THE END. MAYBE THE ONLY OTHER THING HE CAN ACCOMPLISH IN THE STATE OF THE UNION IS INTRODUCING HER, PERHAPS, AND MAKING A QUICK CASE FOR HER. THIS IS BOTH HISTORICAL AND IT'S GOING TO BE A NON-STORY IN A FEW WEEKS. >> IT WILL BE A NON-STORY UNLESS THE REPUBLICANS MAKE A CRITICAL MISTAKE, WHICH IS TO KEEP CALLING HER A LEFT WING WHATEVER, WHICH SHE IS NOT. SHE HAS EXTRAORDINARY CREDENTIALS. ALL THREE OF THESE WOMEN DID, AND HE MADE THE CHOICE OF THE PERSON WHO HAD MOST RECENTLY BEEN CONFIRMED BY THIS SAME SENATE, AND ALSO IS IN THAT COURT JUST BELOW THE SUPREME COURT, THE MINI SUPREME COURT. SO IT WAS A LOGICAL DECISION, NOT AS A POLITICAL DECISION, AND SHE BRINGS SO MUCH EXPERIENCE, SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE. SHE'S A FORMER CLERK. SHE HAS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEFENSE EXPERIENCE. IT'S JUST SUCH A MISTAKE FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO PAINT HER -- >> IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THEY WILL. YOU HEARD ROB PORTMAN? >> YES, BUT HE MAY NOT REPRESENT EVERYONE, AND I WAS SURPRISED BY LINDSEY GRAHAM, BECAUSE IT'S SO UNUSUAL FOR A SENATOR EIGHT MONTHS AFTER VOTING HER TO THIS OTHER COURT TO GO AGAINST HER. >> SHE'S BEEN CONFIRMED THREE TIMES. SHE HAS BEEN A THOROUGH JUDGE FOR NINE YEARS, THREE TIMES MORE THAN JUDGE AMY CONEY BARRETT WAS. SHE IS EMINENTLY QUALIFIED. THIS IS A NO-BRAINER. >> THE MOST IMPORTANT CREDENTIAL, SHE CAME FROM THE MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE DID AT THIS TABLE. I'M GUESSING THE ONLY NOISE YOU REALLY HEAR FROM THE RIGHT IS THE NOISE USED FOR RAISING MONEY PURPOSES, AND THAT'S ABOUT IT, RIGHT? >> I DON'T THINK THE REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO, IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY, OPPOSE HER. I THINK THE ONLY THING WE'RE GOING TO SEE IS THE FACT SHE'S BEEN REVERSED REPEATEDLY IN HER JUDGMENTS. SHE'S ONLY BEEN ON THE D.C. CIRCUIT FOR LESS THAN A YEAR SO SHE REALLY HASN'T GOT TENT ANY -- GOTTEN ANY DECISIONS OUT THERE TO CRITICIZE, AND I DON'T THINK THIS WILL BE A BIG STORY UNLESS SOMEONE PUTS THEIR FOOT IN THEIR MOUTH. BUT I THINK IT'S VERY UNLIKELY. >> I WANT TO PIVOT TO A SIDEBAR STORY OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE WITH PUTIN AND UKRAINE, AND THAT IS THIS KABAL ON THE RIGHT THAT SEEMS TO LIKE PUTIN. EVEN FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO ALL COMFORTABLY CALLING HIM SHREWD AND SMART. TAKE A LISTEN. >> THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT PUTIN IS SMART, WHICH OF COURSE HE'S SMART, BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT OUR LEADERS ARE DUMB. DUMB. SO DUMB. >> I HAVE ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR HIM. >> HE'S SCRAMBLING AND HE'S NOT ALONE. ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL THESE PUTIN LOVERS ARE REALIZING, I BOUGHT THE PROPAGANDA. >> REPUBLICANS WITH WHOM I SPOKE ARE SO FRUSTRATED, BECAUSE THEY SAY THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WHEN IT COMES TO FOREIGN POLICY, AND NOW IT'S A MISSED OPPORTUNITY. BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE HEADLINES OF TRUMP AND POMPEO PRAISING PUTIN. SO THEY'RE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS, THEY'RE TRYING TO TURN THE PAGE. BY THE WAY, FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS THE ONLY PERSON AT CPAC WHO TALKED ABOUT PUTIN, BECAUSE EVERYBODY THERE WANTED TO IGNORE THE FACT THAT HE HAD MADE THOSE CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS. >> REMEMBER HELSINKE? YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO HELSINKE. WE WERE THERE, KRISTEN AND I SAT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, AND WE WERE SLACK-JAWED WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP DEFENDED PUTIN'S TAKE ON 2016 AND DISAGREED WITH HIS OWN HEAD OF NATIONAL SECURITY, WHICH LED TO THE DNI CONTRADICTING HIM IN REALTIME. >> YOU'RE SPARKING OVER THERE. >> HE LIKES STRONG MEN, REMEMBER, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE SAW CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT HIS PRESIDENCY, DANI. >> IT IS. I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP'S JUDGMENT ON RUSSIA AND ON PUTIN HAS NOT BEEN AWESOME. I THINK MIKE POMPEO MISSPOKE. I DON'T THINK HE ACTUALLY -- >> HE SAID IT SEVERAL TIMES. >> I KNOW, ANDREA, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT HE BELIEVES. HANG ON. FIRST OF ALL, THERE ARE FOUR OF YOU AND ONE OF ME. I'M MERELY REPUBLICAN SITTING HERE. >> WE'RE NOT REPUBLICANS, WE'RE DEMOCRATS, WE'RE JOURNALISTS. >> I'M NOT GOING TO TOUCH THAT, BABY. WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY HERE IS I THINK THERE IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY, AS YOU SAY, LARGELY BECAUSE OF THESE STUPID, STUPID STATEMENTS, AND BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH THAT REPUBLICANS CAN DO IN CONGRESS. WE'VE SEEN REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR MUCH STRONGER SANCTIONS THAN THE DEMOCRATS HAVE PUSHED FOR, PUSHED ON PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR A LARGER SUPPLEMENTAL, ASKED HIM WHY HE WASN'T PREPARED DESPITE THIS EXCELLENT INFORMATION CAMPAIGN HE RAN AGAINST RUSSIA. IF YOU KNEW WHAT WAS COMING, WHY DIDN'T YOU PREPARE? >> POMPEO IS SO EAGER TO GET AHEAD OF TED CRUZ AND 2022 WANNABES. >> THEN HE'S GOING TO WRITE HIMSELF OUT OF 2024. I THINK PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH JUDGMENT TO SEE THAT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU CAN'T UNHEAR IT. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERY VOTER, BUT -- >> IT'S BEING USED BY RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA. >> IF THOSE PEOPLE WERE PRESIDENT TODAY, THE NATO LINES WOULD BE FRACTURED IF DONALD TRUMP WERE PRESIDENT. >> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE. THERE IS A POLL THAT JUST CAME OUT -- I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T DISAGREE WITH YOU MORE. >> DANI, YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT. >> I ACTUALLY DO KNOW BETTER THAN THAT. >> POMPEO HAS NOT FIGURED OUT HOW TO ANSWER FOR WHY HE SAID IT IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND IF HE HAS ANY DESIRE TO RUN IN 2024, HE HAS TO FIGURE IT OUT. >> THIS IS POLITICS. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NATIONAL SECURITY. >> IT'S DANGEROUS WHEN IT GETS ON RUSSIAN TELEVISION. >> WE'RE GOING TO END IT THERE AND WELCOME TO WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE A NEW POLITICAL WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN NOW GOING FORWARD. SECURITY WILL BE A HUGE ISSUE. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK, BECAUSE IF IT'S
