Page 156 - Bluff News Today

Would _ committee who has already said he would throw his hat into the ring if there _ would throw his hat into the ring if there was— would throw his hat into the ring if there was a — would throw his hat into the ring if there was a leadership contest to topple _ there was a leadership contest to topple borisjohnson and he thinks we have _ topple borisjohnson and he thinks we have to — topple borisjohnson and he thinks we have to be much tougher on moscow and dry— we have to be much to...

Are getting ready for potential war, top ukrainian officials this morning once again downplaying the threat. we heard from the defense minister saying that he believes that for today, the risk of escalation is low. they are looking at this troop buildup on three sides of the border. theyre not seeing the kind of strike formations that would indicate an imminent attack. we also heard from the ukrainian foreign minister say, you shouldnt believe some of these apocalyptic predictions, he said, comi...

I think i can sustain sanctions. hes already amassed some $600 billion in reserves. hes re-engaged his chinese trading and natural resource sales. so hes looking at this like, okay, you guys are dwindling -- you keep telling me what you wont do, and it allows me to figure out what i will do. thats what i worry about. i would have changed that early on three months ago if i were the biden administration. >> its more than worrisome. the idea of calling bluff with all the stakes that are part of it...

We were speaking to dave egan, a retired veteran. he says he moved here three years ago and he has friends here, that this is home, and he intends to stay. take a listen. >> im not going anywhere. i dont know whats going to happen, but im not running. i cant see, really, why the russians would want to come and do this and destroy this place. i think its counterproductive to them, and i think the ukrainian people will fight him very strong, and im trying to find ways to help that. i really think ...

Has not yet made a final decision. so he is giving himself an out. what i do worry about is it seem that is the kremlin increasingly is putting itself in a corner where it will have two options, either to launch a military attack on ukraine or to make a climb down which could be somewhat embarrassing. after all of this buildup to send the troops home without getting their key demands, that could be embarrassing and look like mr. putin bluffed and was called on that bluff. >> you say russia is co...

In 1962. this is american leadership in action. expand on that for me, joel. >> yasmin, its great to be with you and without a doubt, what vice president harris did today was put a firm flag, plant it in the first round and say, the united states is here, we back up our european allies, we back up ukraine, we are not going anywhere, and were calling vladimir putins bluff. time and again, what were seeing from the biden administration is calling out vladimir putin, eliminating his false pretexts ...

Making the actual decision and saying you will attack. >> reporter: today, president biden, convening an urgent meeting with his national security team in the situation room, many just back from europe, where they were reassuring allies and doubling down on the consequences for putin if he attacks. >> we are talking about the real possibility of war in europe. >> reporter: more than 150,000 russian troops are thought to be amassed on three sides of ukraine, although one u.s. official telling abc...

Idea that putins aggression towards ukraine and his demands for nato are a huge bluff. what are your thoughts on that and what do you believe putins intentions are here? >> well, look. putin has always stated his concern and his desire, actually, to reestablish the boundaries of the former soviet union. the baltic states, lithuania, latvia, estonia, i visit all those nations and i can tell you the leadership in those countries understand putins attempt and desire to reestablish those boundaries ...

His military power. russias claiming, as you know, that american officials are engaged in hysteria over an invas invasion. but why would russia be amassing troops at the border? >> its hard to find evidence of it being a bluff it hasnt achieved much if its a bluff. i think the only plausible explanation is the one staring us in the face, that in the next couple of weeks a wider war between russia and ukraine is eminently plausible. >> wow. the u.s. is no stranger to tensions with russia. what is...

It seems as though the u.s. has some new information they are basing actions on. >> youre right. it seems to be more urgent today. we should maintain the resoever to stare him down. he could do this. hes done it before in 2014. its not a bluff. he could do it, but the cost to him are still so high even now