was knocked out in the village. ukraine's president is calling it, indeed, a, quote, provocation. while the u.s. is gathering details, our defense secretary says, quote, we've said for some time that the russians might do something like this in order to justify a military conflict. so, we'll be watching this very closely. another concerning move? russia expelled our second most senior diplomat in moscow without any justification in what the state department is now calling an escalatory step. so, these tensions, they aren't easing, shall we say. though, the drum beat of war seems to be growing louder and louder, the u.s. is still holding out hope that russia will change its course and abandon the path of war and choose a different path. that, according to secretary blinken, who addressed the u.n. security council today. and despite all of the danger, despite all the threats the