Path Open News Today

Thank you so much for tuning in. I wish you all a good night. My friend ari is next. And remember, you can watch the night cap most fridays and saturdays. 11 00 p. M. Eastern right here on msnbc. But for now, im signing off. From all of our colleagues across the networks of nbc news, thanks for staying up late. Ill see you at the end of monday. Hello and welcome to our special. New york versus donald trump. Im ari and we have break downs on this entire rivetting week of testimony including frida...

Range, not simply focusing on ukraine. if this could be a shell game, he could be focused on something else. he could do pieces of ukraine and not the whole thing. i think hes got the initiative, hes got the momentum and were reacting in a purely defensive capability here. >> the issue of ukraines potential possible membership in nato is at the center of this because russia has made it so. its not on the table today. it is in ukraines constitution, as you know, to keep that path open. you did ha...

>> diplomats like to create what they call off ramps that allow their opponent to save face in a retreat. is there an off ramp here for vladimir putin? >> i believe there is if he is at all -- has any rationality left. at the end of the day, most wars end with some kind of a brokered solution. and we should continue to search for ways. look, the ukrainian government, the president of ukraine, despite showing incredible bravery and courage and fortitude, is also keeping the path open. i believe w...

Hostile population in ukraine. >> yeah. indeed. there -- there is is a huge opposition. everyone i speak to here in lviv, certainly. you -- youre a diplomat. how do you see the state of diplomacy right now? i mean, i -- i guess, you know, there is not a war right now. but its, you no e -- so its working in that regard. but how precarious of a diplomatic efforts? and also, has the u.s. been, you know, strident enough in -- in its warnings? >> well, um, i think one should always leave the path ope...

Taking place, as the invasion was taking place, and basically told him that -- that all -- all the military activities had to cease immediately. he said, of course, obvious hi, that did not go anywhere. but he did explain why he made that phone call -- the ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy. >> translator: i think it is my responsibility, first of all, to take such initiatives when they are requested by ukraine. and then, while condemning, while sanctioning, while continuing to decide and a...

Know that democratic votes will be required to pass the budget bill and keep the government open before the end of the week. why not use that lenverage? what do your democratic colleagues say to the case why shouldnt the democrats insist that this kind of protection, this kind of prevention as you described it be inserted into the bill in order to get the democratic votes it needs to pass? >> we explored every option to find a way to move forward with the special counsel bill. at this point, i t...

Make speculation. >> comparing apples to oranges. peter, if i could come back to you before we finish up, and well have an opportunity to discuss this over the next several hours as we dig deeper on this, but when you look at a terror case still, or some sort of terror nex us is, as analysts look at this, they never want to close down a lead because you could get new information. they could find the wreckage and see evidence of an explosion. the intelligence community, explain how they would be ...

Lets begin with jim sciutto with the very latest. >> are with the announcement of the referendum, the president and secretary kerry really had to make definitive and strong statements today. and they also took the first steps with penalties on russia. these visa bans on senior officials as well as laying the ground work for further sanctions on entities which could include russian state banks. they are keeping the diplomatic path open, but that path moving frustratingly slow. increasingly frustr...