SAYING IT IS PREEMPTIVE AND SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE. >> Bill: BENJAMIN HALL FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT. WE’LL BRING IN JACK KEANE. WELCOME BACK TO OUR COVERAGE. MICHAEL WALTZ, THIS IS HOW HE SEES IT AND ASK YOU TO SIZE UP THIS TIMELINE. WATCH. >> I DO THINK IT’S IMMINENT AND LIKELY THAT PUTIN IS GOING TO INVADE. AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE UNITED STATES? IT MEANS DESTABILIZED EUROPE, PUTIN BELIEVES HE CAN RECONSTITUTE THE OLD SOVIET UNION AND CHALLENGE THE UNITED STATES ON THE WORLD STAGE. >> Bill: THAT IS THE BACK DROP. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT, GENERAL? LET’S START THERE. >> WELL, LET’S START WITH THE TIMELINE ITSELF. LISTEN, WEATHER IS A FACTOR AND IT IS HERE. SO OUR AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS, HEAVY ARMOR OPERATIONS SUPPORTED BY ARTILLERY NEED SOLID GROUND. A MILD WINTER IN UKRAINE AND TAKING LONGER FOR THE GROUND TO FREEZE.

IT IS FROZEN NOW AND CERTAINLY THIS IS IDEAL CONDITIONS TO CONDUCT THOSE ARMOR OPERATIONS AS I DISCUSSED. CERTAINLY AIR POWER WOULD SUPPORT IT. THERE IS ANOTHER FACTOR HERE AS WELL. THAT IS THE BEIJING OLYMPICS. PUTIN IS GOING TO IT ON FEBRUARY 4. IT SENDS AT FEBRUARY 20th. HE WILL NOT CONDUCT AN INVASION DURING THAT TIME IN MY JUDGMENT AND DETRACT FROM HIS COHORT AND FRIEND’S MAJOR PROPAGANDA VENTURE WHERE THEY HAVE INVESTED YEARS AND BILLIONS OF MONEY INTO. AND -- HERE IS ANOTHER FACTOR. THE GROUND BEGINS TO THAW IN MID-MARCH. OLYMPICS END ON THE 20th. WE HAVE A MONTH OR SO WITH FAVORABLE CONDITIONS TO SUPPORT HEAVY ARMOR OPERATIONS. DOESN’T MEAN THEY CAN’T DO IT WHEN THE GROUND THAWS AND YOU HAVE MORE MUD THAN ANYTHING ELSE. IT IS MORE CHALLENGING THEN. FAVORABLE CONDITIONS END AROUND MID-MARCH IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE. >> Dana: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL THE

POSSIBILITY OF THE PRESIDENT DECIDING TO SEND 5,000 MORE TROOPS TO THE REGION? WHAT WOULD THEY BE DOING? IS THAT A DETERRENT? WOULD THEY BE DOING ANY FIGHTING? I DON’T THINK THEY SPELLED THAT OUT WELL ENOUGH. >> CERTAINLY PUTIN’S OBJECTIVES AS WE’VE DISCUSSED MANY TIMES, HE DOESN’T WANT A FLOURISHING DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ON HIS BORDER THAT IS ONLY 300 MILES FROM MOSCOW AND THAT’S WHAT HIS INTEREST IN UKRAINE HAS BEEN FROM THE OUTSET. SECOND MAJOR INTEREST IS TO UNDERMINE AND WEAKEN NATO ITSELF. WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE HE MADE A MAJOR POLICY SHIFT HERE. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR WEEKS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING PREEMPTIVE ACTION TO DETER PUTIN. NOT JUST THREATS OF ACTIONS, THAT WE’LL TAKE AFTER AN INVASION, DO SOMETHING BEFORE. WE PROVIDED SOME MILITARY AID, NOT NEARLY ENOUGH IN MY VIEW. AND NOW WE’LL PUT SOME TROOPS IN NATO COUNTRIES TO REINFORCE THOSE COUNTRIES. NOT JUST TROOPS. I UNDERSTAND AIR POWER AND

WARSHIPS AS WELL FROM THE UNITED STATES. DECISION NOT MADE. LIKELY MADE LATER THIS WEEK. GOOD STEP, SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE EARLIER. THAT SHOWS SOME INTENTION AND SERIOUSNESS ON THE PART OF THE UNITED STATES. THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT PUTIN RESPECTS. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT IN AND OF ITSELF WILL DETER THE INVASION BUT CERTAINLY A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAT WE COULD DO. ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DOING AFTER THE INVASION, MANY OF THOSE SHOULD BE ONGOING RIGHT NOW AND PUTIN WOULD GET A TASTE OF WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS TO HIM IN TERMS OF HIS ECONOMY, WHICH IS AT 8% INFLATION. WE KNOW WHAT 6% IS DOING TO US. IF WE WERE SQUEEZING HIM ECONOMICALLY NOW AND TELLING HIM LISTEN WE’LL TURN THE VALVE OFF AS SOON AS YOU WITHDRAW YOUR ARMY FROM UKRAINE. WE HAVE COMPLETE JUSTIFICATION FOR DOING IT. FOR PUTIN TO SAY I CAN MOVE MY TROOPS AROUND MY COUNTRY ALL I WANT TO DO THAT’S UP TO ME, IN

THEORY THAT’S CORRECT. IN FACT WHEN YOU PUT AN ARMY IN POSITION AND PREPARE IT FOR A MAJOR INVASION, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT