NO CHANCE OF A REPRIEVE OF A --
>> Dana: DAN HOFFMAN, FORMER
C.I.A. CHIEF OF STATION IN
MOSCOW.
WHEN YOU HEARD THIS, WHAT WAS
YOUR THOUGHT?
>> WELL, I THINK VLADIMIR PUTIN
IS CHANGE TO PERCEPTION OF THIS
WAR BY ILLEGALLY ANNEXING MORE
OF UKRAINE’S TERRITORY.
THE REALITY IS THAT FOLLOWING
UKRAINE’S BLISTERING COUNTER
OFFENSIVE, RUSSIA IS IN DIRE
STRAITS IN DANGER OF LOSING.
PUTIN’S ONLY WAY TO TRY TO
INDUCE THE WEST NOT TO GIVE
UKRAINE WHAT THEY NEED TO
FINISH THE JOB.
>> Bill: SO HE IS CALLING FOR A
DRAFT.
HOW WILL THAT MOBILIZATION GO
OVER AMONG THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE?
>> THIS IS THE FIRST
MOBILIZATION SINCE WORLD WAR II.
LOOK, WAY BACK A FEW WEEKS AGO
WE ALL FELT LIKE NOTHING SAYS
HIS SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION ISN’T EXACTLY GOING ACCORDING
ISN’T EXACTLY GOING ACCORDING
TO PLAN HERE, HAVING TO RELY ON
NORTH KOREA FOR ARTILLERY.
THE THREAT TO PUTIN IS LESS
FROM THE DEMOCRAT PRO-LIBERAL
FOLK WHO HE SNUFFED OUT IN
RUSSIA.
IT’S THE ULTRA-NATIONALISTS WHO
ARE WONDERING WHY RUSSIA FAILED
TO TOP EL UKRAINE’S GOVERNMENT
IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME PUTIN
SAID IT WOULD TAKE, THREE DAYS.
IF THE UKRAINE GOVERNMENT IS
REALLY GOVERNED BY NAZIS AND A
THREAT TO RUSSIA, WHY ISN’T
RUSSIA DOING MORE TO TOPPLE IT?
HIS OWN INNER CIRCLE AND THE
ULTRA-NATIONALIST HAWKS.
>> Dana: WE ALSO HEARD TODAY
THAT FLIGHTS ARE FULL TO LEAVE
RUSSIA.
THE THIRD TIME IN RUSSIAN
HISTORY.
PUTIN HAD THIS TO SAY.
WATCH THIS.
>> RUSSIAN CITIZENS CAN BE SURE
THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF
OUR HOMELAND, INDEPENDENCE AND
FREEDOM WILL BE PROTECTED.
WITH ALL A MEANS AT OUR
DISPOSAL THOSE WHO TRY TO
BLACKMAIL US WITH NUCLEAR
WEAPONS SHOULD KNOW THE WINDS
CAN TURN THEIR WAY.
>> Dana: WE UNDERSTAND
PRESIDENT BIDEN IT WILL BE A
SPEECH TALKING ABOUT WORLD
HUNGER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
HOWEVER, THIS IS GOING TO BE
WHAT EVERYONE WILL PAY
ATTENTION TO, HOW SHOULD BIDEN
DEAL WITH THIS WHEN PUTIN IS
RATCHETING THINGS UP?
>> VLADIMIR PUTIN’S THREATS TO
USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND HIS
DEMANDS THAT UKRAINE NOT TAKE
THE FIGHT TO RUSSIAN TERRITORY
INDUCED THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE
ARTILLERY WITH LIMITED CHANGE,
NOT TO AGREE TO A NO FLY ZONE
OR ALLOW POLAND TO ALLOW THE
AIRCRAFT.
IF I COULD SUGGEST WRITING A
PIECE OF PRESIDENT BIDEN’S
TALKING POINTS I WOULD SAY
LOOK, IF UKRAINE CHOOSES TO
FIGHT FOR ITS TERRITORY NO
MATTER WHAT RUSSIA CALLS IT,
THIS IS UKRAINE’S TERRITORY
WE’LL SUPPORT THEM.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT
EVEN IF VLADIMIR PUTIN IS
CALLING KHERSON PARTS OF RUSSIA
THEY’RE NOT.
WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW PUTIN TO
PREVENT US FROM DOING THE RIGHT
THING.
WE’LL SEE WHAT THE PRESIDENT
SAYS.
I’M SURE THE PRESIDENT’S
ADVISORS ARE HUDDLING WITH THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY NOW TO
ASSESS VLADIMIR PUTIN’S PLANS
AND INTENTIONS AND THE
SERIOUSNESS OF THE THREATS HE
DELIVERED TODAY.
>> Bill: I DON’T THINK ANYONE
IS GOING TO AGREE TO THIS IN
THIS ADMINISTRATION.
ARE WE EFFECTIVELY AT WAR WITH
RUSSIA AND PUTIN NOW?
>> WELL, THAT’S THE WAY
VLADIMIR PUTIN IS FRAMING IT
BECAUSE HOW ELSE COULD YOU
EXPLAIN THAT RUSSIA IS LOSING
IN A WAR THAT THEY CLAIMED THEY
COULD WIN IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF
TIME.
PUTIN’S DEFENSE MINISTER SAID
RUSSIA IS AT WAR WITH THE WEST.
AT THE VERY MOST A PROXY WAR.
THE UNITED STATES IS THE
ARSENAL FOR DEMOCRACY.
THE UKRAINIANS ARE FIGHTING AND
DYING THROUGHOUT UKRAINE AND
THEY ARE THE ONES WE CAN OWE A
DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR STANDING
UP TO DEMOCRACY ON A FAULT LINE
BETWEEN VLADIMIR PUTIN AND
LIBERTY AND FREEDOM.
THAT’S A FINE LINE AND VLADIMIR
PUTIN --
>> Bill: YOU WOULD AGREE THESE
ROCKETS HAVE ALLOWED UKRAINE TO
GO ON THE OFFENSIVE.
WITHOUT OUR WEAPONS AND WITHOUT
THE WEAPONS OF NATO COUNTRIES,
UKRAINE WOULD NOT BE BATTLING
BACK THE WAY THEY ARE, WOULD
THEY?
>> NO, YOU’RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
SO THAT -- VLADIMIR PUTIN
CERTAINLY RECOGNIZES THAT AND
MAY HAVE ASSESSED THAT THE
UNITED STATES AND THE WEST
WOULD NEVER HAVE PROVIDED
UKRAINE THE WEAPONS THAT THEY
NEEDED.
BUT WE ARE.
ONLY TO A POINT, BILL.
WE HAVEN’T GONE FAR ENOUGH FOR
UKRAINE TO ACTUALLY WIN THIS.
PUTIN KNOWS THAT.
IF WE WERE TO GIVE UKRAINE THE
ARTILLERY WITH THE LONGER
RANGE, AND WE WERE PROVIDING
THEM WITH AIRCRAFT AND EARLIER
ON IF WE CONSIDERED A NO FLY
ZONE UKRAINE MIGHT HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE
ENEMY IN A SPEEDIER FASHION AND
AVOIDED THE CATASTROPHE WE’VE
EXPERIENCED IN UKRAINE.
UKRAINE LOST MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
DISPLACED AND INNOCENT
CIVILIANS KILLED IN THIS
BARBARIC WAR THAT NEEDS TO END
WITH UKRAINE’S VICTORY AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE.
>> Dana: DAN HOFFMAN, THANK YOU
SO MUCH.