story. it's the equivalent of, if you and i were having a discussion or a negotiation, if i put a gun on the table and say that i come in peace, you know, that's threatening. and that's what we see now. >> that may all well be true, but it is remarkable to hear it come on the record, on camera from a senior u.s. diplomat in moscow. >> yeah, we're seeing this scratchy kind of language coming, as we've heard from zelensky, the president of ukraine. now the u.s. ambassador to russia. they're trying to signal pretty obviously, in a very unnuanced way the position of the united states and her allies in europe which is to the kremlin, we know what you're up to. the difference of interpretation as to whether the russians are poised for an invasion now or maybe late in february or later on in the year is kind of moot. if you look at the wider issue, the russians are saying we do not want to see nato absorbing ukraine or indeed subtext