What does Putin want? The Russia-Ukraine standoff

Does President Putin plan to invade Ukraine? Why is this military confrontation happening now and is there a way to defuse it?

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FILE - Ukrainian soldiers walks at the line of separation from pro-Russian rebels near Katerinivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

FILE - Ukrainian soldiers walks at the line of separation from pro-Russian rebels near Katerinivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Dec 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Andriy Dubchak)

The standoff between Russia and Ukraine is intensifying. 100,000 Russian troops are positioned along the Ukrainian border, and as U.S. attempts to defuse the confrontation diplomatically fail, the Pentagon is considering putting U.S. troops on high alert for possible deployment to Europe.

Does President Vladimir Putin plan to invade Ukraine or is he using these military maneuvers to extract his demands, including limiting NATO expansion?  This hour, we examine the conflict and motives behind Putin’s recent aggression and what, if anything, President Biden and NATO can do to deescalate the standoff.

Guests

ANGELA STENT, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of Putin’s World , @AngelaStent

MELINDA HARING, Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. @melindaharing

MARY KALYNA, a Ukrainian American activist with Euromaidan Philadelphia – Human Rights in Ukraine

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