MORNING.
RUSSIA PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN
HAS ORDERED TROOPS INTO TWO
BREAK-AWAY REGIONS OF UKRAINE.
THIS AFTER OFFICIALLY
RECOGNIZING THEIR INDEPENDENCE,
ESCALATING TENSION WAS THE WEST.
PUTIN CLAIMS THE RUSSIAN FORCES
WOULD ACT IN A, QUOTE, PEACE
KEEPING ROLE.
THEY THIS THREATENS WAR IN
EUROPE.
UKRAINE PRESIDENT VLADIMIR
ZELENSKY SAY THE ACTIONS BREACH
KEY SOVEREIGNTY.
JOINING US NOW, GENERAL JACK
KEANE.
IT’S PERFECT TO HAVE YOU THIS
MORNING.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
ASSESS WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE
WITH PUTIN SENDING TROOPS INTO
THESE TWO BREAK-AWAY REGIONS.
HOW DO YOU SEE IT?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK
WHEN YOU TAKE THE PUTIN SPEECH,
THE NATIONAL SECURITY MEETING
THAT HE HELD, THE LETTER THAT HE
WROTE, THE MEMO THAT HE WROTE
BACK IN JULY OF ’21, YOU CAN
REALLY SEE WHAT HIS VISION IS.
HE REALLY WANTS TO STRATEGICALLY
RECONSTRUCT THE POST COLD WAR
BOUNDARIES OF EUROPE AND ALSO
PUT IN PLACE A DIFFERENT
SECURITY ARCHITECTURE THAT
CERTAINLY FAVORS RUSSIA.
SEES WHEN THE SOVIET UNION
COLLAPSED THAT THE UNITED UNITED
LED EXPANSION INTO EASTERN
EUROPE AT THE EXPENSE OF RUSSIA
AND BECAUSE OF THE WEAKNESS OF
THE YATES UNITED STATES NOW AND
HE BELIEVES THE WEAKNESS OF
EUROPEAN LEADERS THERE’S AN
OPPORTUNITYOPPORTUNITY HERE FOR
READJUSTMENT.
WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE WITH
UKRAINE CERTAINLY AND BEGINNING
WITH DECLARING THESE TWO REGIONS
INDEPENDENT, HE HAS PUT TROOPS
ON THE GROUND IN THERE TO
ENFORCE IT.
I THINK IT’S ABSOLUTELY MITS
GUIDED FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO
NOT SEE IT FOR WHAT IT IS.
THEY SEEM TO BE PARALYZED BY THE
FACT IS THIS AN INVASION OR NOT.
WE HAVE TROOPS ENFORCING THE
AUTONOMY RULE THAT PUTIN HAS
DECLARED BY DECREE AND THOSE TWO
REGIONS ARE NOW AFFILIATED WITH
RUSSIA, MUCH AS HE DID WITH
CRIMEA AND WE SHOULD HAVE NOT
HIT THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION IS
WHAT THE SANCTIONS ARE ABOUT,
MARIA, WHAT THAT THE UNITED
STATES IS IMPOSING.
WE SHOULD HAVE HIT RUSSIA.
THEY’RE THE AGGRESSOR HERE IN
DOING THIS.
HOPEFULLY AFTER THE
ADMINISTRATION HAS HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME SLEEP,
AND THEY WAKE UP THIS MORNING,
PUT THEIR BIG BOY PANTS ON AND
GET AFTER A THIS THE WAY IT
SHOULD BE AN DEALING WITH RUSSIA
WHO IS THE AGGRESSOR HERE.
THAT’S WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
I ALSO BELIEVE THIS IS A PHASE.
WE’RE GOING TO SEE IT IN TERMS
OF MILITARY OPERATIONS, THIS IS
PHASE ONE.
TROOPS IN THE OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES, BRING MORE TROOPS
IN THERE AND THEN EXPAND
THROUGHOUT THE REGION, THE
UKRAINIANS WILL RESIST THAT AND
THAT WILL LIKELY HAVE TO HAVE
PREASSAULT FIRES TO ASSIST THE
GROUND FORCE WAS AIR POWER,
MISSILES, ROCKET AND LONG RANGE
ARREST TILL RARELYARTILLERY IN S
THE NEXT PHASE WILL BE EXPANSION
INTO EASTERN UKRAINE AND AT SOME
POINT THE DESIRE TO TOPPLE THE
GOVERNMENT OF KYIV, WHETHER HE
ACTUALLY OCCUPIES IT OR NOT
REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
PUTIN HAS A LOT OF OPTIONS HERE.
SO I THINK A NUMBER OF PHASES
ARE GOING TO UNFOLD IN FRONT OF
US OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.
MARIA: SO IT FEELS LIKE OTHERS
ARE REACTING.
WE’RE WAITING FOR THE WHITE
HOUSE TO ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL
SANCTIONS IN RESPONSE TO PUTIN’S
ACTIONS.
GERMANY THIS MORNING HAS HALTED
THE NORD STREAM 2 PIPELINE
CERTIFICATION.
THAT’S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT.
AND YET OVER THE WEEKEND MARIO
DRAGHI, THE PRIME MINISTER OF
ITALY, SAID THE U.S. SHOULD NOT
HIT ANY SANCTIONS AND HIT
RUSSIA’S ENERGY INDUSTRY, WHICH
HEIS REALLY INCREDIBLE THAT HE C
SAY THAT ISN’T THAT ONE OF OUR
ONLY PIECES OF LEVERAGE HERE?
WHAT IS THE LEVERAGE, I WANT TO
ASK YOU.
WHAT SHOULD THE U.S. BE ISSUING
IN TERMS OF SANCTIONS?
BECAUSE THERE ARE EIGHT OF
RUSSIA’S LARGEST COMPANIES THAT
ARE ALREADY SANCTIONED BY THE
UNITED STATES FOR THE 2014
INVASION OF CRIMEA.
FOUR OF THOSE COMPANIES ARE ON
THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT’S ENTITY
LIST AND THEY’RE STILL HELD IN
INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS, RIGHT?
I MEAN, THEY’RE STILL IN
INDEXES.
IS THAT A LEVERAGE POINT?
BECAUSE TOM COTTON WAS WITH ME
ON SUNDAY, GOING THROUGH SOME OF
THE OPTIONS THAT THIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS AND YET WE
HAVEN’T HEARD A PEEP ABOUT ANY
SANCTIONS.
HERE’S TOM COTTON FROM SUNDAY.
I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO
THIS.
WATCH.
>> IT’S OBVIOUS THE KIND OF
SANCTIONS WE SHOULD IMPOSE.
WE SHOULD SANCTION RUSSIAN OIL.
WE SHOULD SANCTION THEIR
MINERALS AND THEIR MINING
SECTOR.
WE SHOULD SANCTION THEIR BIGGEST
BANKS.
WE SHOULD IMPOSE SECONDARY
DOLLAR SANCTIONS ON THEM AS
WELL.
WE SHOULD REMOVE THEM FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM.
THAT WOULD SEND THE SIGNAL TO
CHINA THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS.
AND THERE WILL BE SEVERE
CONSEQUENCES IF THEY ATTEMPT IN
TAIWAN IN THE MONTHS OR YEARS
AHEAD WHAT VLADIMIR PUTIN IS ON
THE VERGE OF DOING IN UKRAINE.
MARIA: SO WHAT DO YOU THINK,
GENERAL?
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?
WHAT WILL BE THE U.S.’S MOVE?
>> WELL, I’M NOT CERTAIN THE
ADMINISTRATIONSADMINISTRATION HA
GRIPS WITH WHAT THE PURPOSE OF
SANCTION%.
THEY LOOK AT SANCTIONS AS
SOMETHING TO USE TO DETER RUSSIA
FROM DOING SOMETHING AND I’M NOT
SUGGESTING THAT THAT DOESN’T
HAVE MEANING.
OF COURSE IT DOES.
BUT SANCTIONS ALSO DEMONSTRATE
TO THE WORLD AND TO YOUR
ADVERSARY THAT YOU’RE DEALING
WITH HOW SIGNIFICANT YOU BELIEVE
THEIR ACTIONS ARE AND,
THEREFORE, THIS IS SERIOUS AND
THE SCALE OF THE SANCTIONS IS
IMPORTANT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT
SERIOUSNESS, NOT JUST TO THE
COUNTRY BUT INTERNATIONALLY AND
THEN THERE’S ALSO RETRIBUTION
AND PUNISHMENT FOR THE ACTIONS
THAT THE COUNTRY IS TAKING.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT DETERRENCE
AND, YES, WE CAN COME UP WITH A
TOUGH SHOPPING LIST OF WHAT TO
DO AS SENATOR COTTON THERE HAS
DONE AND I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH
MOST ALL OF WHAT THAT IS.
THE UNITED STATES HAS NEVER LAID
OUT WHAT A SANCTION REGIME IS
GOING TO BE AGAINST RUSSIA,
SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE
ADVERTISED AND GOTTEN VERY
SPECIFIC WITH THEM IN OUR
DISCUSSIONS.
LISTEN, THERE’S NO SANCTIONS
RIGHT NOW THAT ARE GOING TO
DETER RUSSIA FROM WHAT THEIR
VISION AND PLANS ARE FOR UKRAINE
BUT THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE HOW WE
OBJECT TO WHAT THAT ACTIONS IS
BY THE SCALE OF IT AND CERTAINLY
WE CAN PUNISH THEM FOR THIS
ACTION AND THAT’S THE ROAD WE
SHOULD BE MOVING DOWN AND WE
SHOULD BE SOLICITING OUR ALLIES
TO COME WITH US.
BUT WE’VE GOT TO RECOGNIZE HERE,
MARIA, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT
UKRAINE P.
THIS IS ABOUT PUTIN’S VISION
WHEN IT COMES TO EUROPE’S
SECURITY AND WHERE THE BOUNDARY
SHOULD BE AND THE PRESSURE
POINTS AND HE REALLY WANTS TO
SEE NATO RETRENCH AND HE’S GOING
TO PUT PRESSURE IN MONTHS AND
YEARS TO COME ON NATO COUNTRIES.
ANYBODY THAT THINKS THIS IS OVER
AS HE PULLS UKRAINE INTO HIS
ORBIT AND BELARUS INTO HIS ORBIT
IS SADLY MISTAKEN.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF MORE
PRESSURE THAT PUTIN IS GOING TO
APPLY TO READDRESS THE SECURITY
ARCHITECTURE IN EUROPE AT THE
EXPENSE OF THE UNITED STATES AND
NATO.
MARIA: WELL, IT’S A LITTLE LATE
TO SAY WE’RE GOING TO DETER
PUTIN.
HE’S JUST SENT TROOPS INTO TWO
SEPARATIST REGIONS OF UKRAINE.
SO TO CALL SANCTIONS A DETERRENT
AT THIS POINT OUT OF THIS WHITE
HOUSE, I DON’T KNOW -- WE WATCH
WHAT HAPPENED, WE’RE WATCHING
WHAT’S HAPPENING BUT, GENERAL,
ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL AT ONCE
WE’VE GOT ALL OF OUR ADVERSARIES
ON THE MARCH HERE AND THE U.S.
IS PRETTY MUCH NEARING A NEW
DEAL WITH IRAN TO GET THE UNITED
STATES BACK INTO AN IRAN NUCLEAR
DEAL.
THAT TOO RIGHT NOW.
>> WE’RE GOING TO SEE A NEW
DEAL HERE PRETTY SOON IN A FEW
DAYS OR A FEW WEEKS AT BEST,
THAT IS WORSE THAN THE 2015 DEAL
FROM ALL THE INDICATIONS THAT WE
HAVE.
AND THE PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH
THIS AND WHY SO MANY OF US ARE
CONCERNED, IT’S WHEN WE GIVE
THEM SANCTION RELIEF AND WE’RE
ALSO GOING TO LIKELY REMOVE THE
IRGC FROM THE TERRORIST LIST,
PART OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT
QASSEM SOLEIMANI USED TO LEAD,
AND WHEN WE GIVE THEM THAT, THE
HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN EXCHANGE FOR SANCTION RELIEF,
WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITH
THAT MONEY?
WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT THEY DID
DID WITH IT IN 2015.
MUCH THE SAME.
THEY’RE GOING TO USE THAT MONEY
TO BUY ROCKETS AND MISSILES FOR
HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH TO RAIN ON
ISRAEL, FUEL THE CIVIL WAR IN
SYRIA, ROCKETS AND MISSILES FOR
THE HOUTHIS TO RAIN DOWN AND
ALSO ON SAUDI ARABIA,
DESTABILIZE THE MIDDLE EAST AND
TO THEIR FAVOR.
THAT IS WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.
THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CONCERN
AND ALSO THEY’RE GOING TO USE
THE MONEY TO BUILD MORE
BALLISTIC MISSILES AND NOW
THERE’S AN OPEN DOOR FOR THEM TO
ACQUIRE A CONVENTIONAL WEAPON
SYSTEM AND THEY’RE GOING TO DO
THAT BECAUSE THEY’LL HAVE THE
MONEY TO DO IT.
THE THREAT WILL GROW AND THEY’RE
SINGULARLY FOCUSED ON THE
NUCLEAR THREAT AND NOT TAKING
INTO CONSIDERATION THE WHOLE
WHICH HAS BEEN THE PROBLEM WITH
THE NUCLEAR DEAL FROM THE
OUTSET, GOING BACK TO 2015.
MARIA: YES, AND YOU’VE SAID
THAT MANY TIMES.
WE ARE IN DANGEROUS WATERS FOR
SURE.
GENERAL, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.