these counterattacks. when we put all of that together, what does it tell us about the current situation on the ground in ukraine? >> it says that mr. putin wants to stall through negotiations while he builds up his forces to try to turn the battle. it is not going his way right now. but it is indeterminate. this is a struggle about competitive reinforcement, development of forces on both sides, and about international will and whether putin gets a secret supply from china, or the strength of u.s. and nato reinforcement to ukraine, and then what is the fighting will of the forces? so this is a battle that is joined, it will be fought on many fronts, everything from putin smashing his potential domestic opponents at home, strengthen the home front, to the negotiations that keep raising and lowering stock values in the west as people see