policymakers your best objective assessment of what's going on, whether the policymaker wants to hear the news or not. in the united states history, we have had cases where it led to conflict. lyndon johnson did not like the intelligence about what he was getting on the ground there in vietnam because it wasn't what he wanted his policy to be resulting in. but our system generally works. sometimes better, sometimes worse. but generally that's what we do. there is no indication that vladimir putin is getting that kind of objective reality from the intelligence services. some reports are coming in saying they are not warning him of the actual situation on the ground. that leads to poor, strategic decision-making. >> so one strategic decision that appears to be made, and this appears to be made broadly in kharkiv and to the south, heavier pens are being used