the ability militarily to roll into ukraine should it choose to do so. so that's i think an important factor. but there would be a large price to pay. i think right now that's the best argument that the u.s. and european diplomats have to throw at putin is that this is not worth it, this is a cost you don't want to pay, that the russian public doesn't want to pay. >> and yet putin we're hearing told biden that sanctions would be a colossal mistake. do you agree with that? >> well, i mean, that's what putin would say. you know, experts have told me over the years that in fact we could -- the united states could very significantly increase the pain point for vladimir putin by going, for example, after his personal assets, by going after the personal assets of the corrupt circle that surrounds vladimir putin. that would be a significant escalation. trying to cut russia off from the international banking system, the swift system, is