the mind of president putin, and this is a difficult thing. this is a diplomatic issue obviously still. there's a lot of strategy at play and it's hard to read these tea leaves. you were the aat that shay to the russian federation. i would love to figure out, is this an example of putin the provocateur, or putin the determined? which is it, do you think? >> i think it -- this is turning increasingly into a game of poker. he will not back down. you think that -- and is doubling down. and that is part of the enhanced, if you will, forced array in belarus and out in the black sea. i think that there's an aspect that they've now moved to brinksmanship, laura, of the type that is coercive, cold blooded, and so 1930s-ish.