NOTED THE U.S. SAYS IS RIGHT NOWONE OF THE MAIN BATTLEFIELDS.>> OUR THANKS TO FRED PLEITGEN.AND JUST IMAGINE STANDING THERE AND RUSSIAN TANKS GOING RIGHT BYYOU.HE WAS THE U.S. AMBASSADOR UNDERPRESIDENT OBAMA.THANK YOU FOR COMING ON, AMBASSADOR.DO YOU BELIEVE NATO SHOULD HAVE GREATER INVOLVEMENT IN THIS CONFLICT?>> WELL, I THINK NATO HAS DECIDED, THE UNITED STATES HAS DECIDED NOT TO BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED.I THINK HISTORY WILL TELL WHETHER THAT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION.CLEARLY POLITICS AT HOME AND POLITICS ABROAD SUGGEST THAT THECONCENTRATION OF NATO IS ON DEFENDING NATO TERRITORY AND NOTUKRAINE.THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T DO MUCH MORE TO HELP THE UKRAINIANSAND INDEED THE U.S. IS SENDING MUCH MORE EQUIPMENT, AND NOW WE EVEN THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT SENDING STINGER MISSILES AND ANTI-TANK WEAPONS IN ORDER TO HELP THE UKRAINIANS DEFEND THEMSELVES.THEY CERTAINLY HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, AND WE OUGHT TO HELP THEM AS BEST WE CAN.>> HOW SIGNIFICANT IS IT THAT GERMANY WILL SEND WEAPONS TO UKRAINE?>> I THINK IT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT.GERMANY UNDER ITS OWN LAWS DOESN'T ALLOW THE SHIPMENT OF ARMAMENTS TO NATIONS IN CONFLICT.AND IT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS ITREFUSED FOR SO LONG TO PROVIDE LETHAL AID TO UKRAINE BACK IN 2014 AND '15.WHEN RUSSIA FIRST INVADED UKRAINE THE GERMANS LED THE EFFORT TO PREVENT DELIVERY OF EVEN DEFENSIVE LETHAL EQUIPMENT.THEY'VE NOW TURNED 180 DEGREES.THEY'RE READY TO HELP THE UKRAINIANS WITH SIGNIFICANT CAPABILITIES THAT ARE GOING TO HELP THE UKRAINIANS EXTEND THESETANKS WE WERE JUST SEEING AND MAKE SURE THEY DON'T REACH THEIRTARGET.OF COURSE FOLLOWING THE DECISIONTO HALT THE NORD STREAM 2 PIPELINE TO RUSSIA AS WELL.>> HOW MUCH OF THE CALCULATION DO YOU THINK BY NATO COUNTRIES TO NOT PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN UKRAINE, HOW MUCH OF THE CALCULATION IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT RUSSIA IS A NUCLEAR POWER THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT CAPABILITIES ON THAT FRONT AND ON THE CYBER FRONT AND MANY OTHER WAYS?>> YEAH, I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE REALISTIC.WHO IS IT THAT YOU ARE COUNTERING?AND WHEN IT COMES TO RUSSIA, THELARGEST MILITARY POWER IN EUROPEWITH SIGNIFICANT NUCLEAR WEAPONSCAPABILITIES AND A LEADER WHO HAS REPEATEDLY THREATENED TO USENUCLEAR WEAPONS INCLUDING AS RECENTLY AS A COUPLE DAYS AGO, YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL.THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT INTERESTS.AND CLEARLY THE RUSSIAN INTERESTIN UKRAINE IS SIGNIFICANT.IT'S WHY IT WENT TO WAR, AND YOUHAVE TO COMPARE THAT WITH THE U.S. AND NATO INTEREST IN PREVENTING THAT WAR.WHEN YOU BALANCE ALL THAT OUT, IT'S A TOUGH DECISION.AND PRESIDENT BIDEN LIKE OTHERS MAKES A DECISION THAT DIRECTLY ENGAGING IN THIS CONFLICT IS NOTTHE RIGHT THING TO DO.AT THE SAME TIME, LET'S FIND OTHER MEANS TO COUNTER THE RUSSIANS WHETHER IT'S THROUGH SANCTIONS, WHETHER BEEFING UP NATO AND OF COURSE HELPING THE UKRAINIANS IN ORDER TO ENSURE WHATEVER HAPPENS TODAY OR TOMORROW IN THE END THIS BECOMESA FAILURE FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN.>> THAT IS CLEARLY THE GOAL.THEY'VE MADE IT CLEAR THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE LONG GAME, TOO, MAKING THIS A FAILURE TO VLADIMIR PUTIN.IF RUSSIAN FORCES TOPPLE UKRAINE'S GOVERNMENT, CAN RUSSIAMANAGE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER UKRAINE?>> WELL, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.THEY'RE ALREADY FINDING THE RUSSIANS ARE HAVING SOME PROBLEMS ACTUALLY EVEN GAINING CONTROL OF PARTS OF UKRAINE LET ALONE THE CAPITAL.BUT ONCE IT IS IN CONTROL, ONCE IT HAS OCCUPIED IT, WE CLEARLY HAVE A UKRAINIAN POPULATION THATHAS BEEN MOBILIZED IN ORDER TO COUNTER A FOREIGN OCCUPATION.JUST RECALL WHAT HAPPENED IN 2003.THE UNITED STATES INVADED IRAQ, VERY QUICKLY TOPPLED SADDAM HUSSEIN AND THE REGIME, AND TODAY WE'RE STILL EVEN THERE BECAUSE A MAJOR INSURGENCY KEPT US THERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEING, AND I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER NATO COUNTRIES HELPING THE UKRAINIANS IN THAT INSURGENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT THECOST OF THE RUSSIAN INVASION IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW SO THAT RUSSIA AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER UNDERSTANDS THAT IT NEEDS TO REVERSE COURSE.>> I WANT TO GET TO THIS VIEWER QUESTION ABOUT THE SANCTIONS.THIS VIEWER ASKS WHY DID THE U.S. GOVERNMENT EXEMPT ALMOST ALL FORMS OF RUSSIAN ENERGY FROMITS SANCTION LIST?ENERGY IS MASSIVE EXPORT FOR RUSSIA.IF WE TRULY CARED WOULDN'T WE BECUTTING OFF THAT LIFELINE AS WELL?>> WELL, THE PROBLEM IS OF COURSE WE DON'T RELY ON MUCH OF RUSSIAN ENERGY, THE U.S.WE IMPORT SOME OIL.IT'S THE EUROPEANS WHO ARE HIGHLY RELIANT PARTICULARLY ON GAS.SOME COUNTRIES GET 100% OF THEIRGAS FOR ELECTRICITY AND HEATING FROM RUSSIA.TO TURN IT OFF MEANS TO IN FACT HAVE NO ELECTRICITY AND NO HEATING.IT'S THE MIDDLE OF WINTER IN EUROPE, AND HAVING COUNTRIES MAKE THAT DECISION IS JUST ONE THAT IS -- THAT IS TOO DIFFICULT.AT THE SAME TIME IT ONCE AGAIN UNDERSCORES THE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANCE OF EUROPE TO REDUCE ITS DEPENDENCE ON RUSSIAN ENERGY, TO START LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF GAS.JUST LAST MONTH FOR THE FIRST TIME MORE GAS CAME THROUGH LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS, LMG, PORTS AND SHIPS, WAS IMPORTED INTO EUROPE THAN CAME FROM THE RUSSIAN PIPELINES.THAT'S WHERE THE FUTURE LIES, AND OVER TIME EUROPE WILL HAVE TO NEED LESS RUSSIAN GAS.AND AT THAT POINT