articulating the nuances and getting the rules of the region down. it is particularly in the timeline that the u.s. has warned that russia could move with an invasion. he doesn't want to embarrass his close ally xi jinping, but as the ground in ukraine is expected to freeze over more and make it easier for tanks to move forward, that is potentially one of the times that russia could move forward with an invasion. this will be a high-profile trip, one watched closely in the region, and one in which the vice president will play a central role in formulating and expressing that u.s. policy in the region. >> there were reports that lavrov will not be attending the conference. i wonder if this changes anything. jeremy, thank you. beth, thank you for joining