WELCOME BACK. TURNING NOW TO RUSSIA WHERE PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS BEEN SWORN IN FOR A FIFTH TERM. FURTHER TIGHTENING HIS CONTROL OVER THE COUNTRY. THE INAUGURATION COMES AFTER AN EFFECTIVELY UNCONTESTED ELECTION WHICH TOOK PLACE JUST A MONTH AFTER OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEI NAVALNY DIED IN A RUSSIAN PRISON. IT ALL COMES MORE THAN TWO YEARS AFTER PUTIN INVADED UKRAINE, WHICH HE FRAMED AS PART OF A GREATER EXISTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH THE WEST IN HIS INAUGURATION SPEECH. AT THE SAME TIME, RUSSIA'S ALSO ANNOUNCED PLANS TO HOLD NUCLEAR WEAPONS DRILLS IN AN APPARENT MORNING TO WESTERN ALLIES OVER THERE INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR IN UKRAINE. JOINED ME NOW FOR MORE IS. WE HEARD PUTIN ADDRESSED THE WEST DIRECTLY IN THAT SPEECH. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INAUGURATION FOR THE KREMLIN, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE ONGOING WAR IN UKRAINE? >> Reporter: IT IS INTERESTING. PUTIN IS OFTEN TALKING DIRECTLY TO THE WEST. SO MUCH OF WHAT HE DOES IS MEANT FOR US TO SEE. THE INAUGURATION WAS ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT. OF COURSE, MUCH OF WHAT HE SAID WAS DIRECTED AT THE RUSSIAN PUBLIC AS WELL. HE TALKS A LOT ABOUT THE WAR AND THE UNITED RUSSIA, DOING WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO TO THIS -- SECURE A SOVEREIGN FUTURE. THE MESSAGE FOR THE WEST IS STRAIGHTFORWARD. ALL YOUR EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE THE HAVE FELT, AND I AM STRONGER THAN EVER. WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THAT FROM HIM RECENTLY. IT IS REALLY ABOUT CONTINUING THE EFFORT BY THE KREMLIN TO PROJECT A STRONG AND CONFIDENT FACEBOOK IT HELPS THEM A LOT RIGHT NOW THAT THE INAUGURATION IS PROBABLY JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE VICTORY DAY. THAT IS THE MOST A GOOD HOLIDAY IN RUSSIA, COMMEMORATING THE VICTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. INTERESTINGLY THIS YEAR, ONCE UPON THE TIME THE MAIN ATTRACTION WAS MILITARY HARDWARE, BUT THIS YEAR THEY ACTUALLY GOT A SPECIAL ATTRACTION, NATO TANKS, U.S. TAKES. YOU CAN SEE CROWDS FAWNING OVER THIS IN MOSCOW. WHAT IS REALLY STRIKING TO ME IS THE IMAGES COMING OUT OF MOSCOW THIS MORNING THAT UNDERSCORE THE TREND OF MILITARIZATION IN RUSSIAN SOCIETY. TO PUT IT SIMPLY, JUST HOW MUCH PUTIN HAS MOLDED HIS COUNTRY INTO HIS WARTIME IMAGE. >> MEANWHILE, YOU HAVE SOLDIERS DETAINED IN RUSSIA. OUT OF THE KREMLIN VIEW THE POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY? DID THEY FORCE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN MOSCOW AND WASHINGTON OR JUST INCREASED TENSION? >> IT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION. THEY ALWAYS KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO SPARK SOME KIND OF DISCUSSION. I THINK THEY REALLY DO VIEW AMERICANS AS TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY AT THIS POINT. WITH ANY AMERICAN THEY DETAIN, WHETHER OR NOT THE CHARGES ARE LEGITIMATE, AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THERE ARE AMERICANS IN RUSSIA WHO COMMIT LEGITIMATE CRIES . IT IS A CHANCE TO GET WASHINGTON ON THE PHONE. THERE IS A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES HERE. EVEN PROMINENT CASES SUCH AS THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. THEY DO RAISE TENSIONS AND ALSO FORCE CONVERSATIONS. I THINK OFTEN THESE CONVERSATIONS SEEM TO YIELD FEW RESULTS.
