all of these troops are aimed at trying to reassure the nato allies on nato's eastern flank who are so nervous, they say, about russia, that the u.s. is there for them, defending the nato commitment, though they will not work under a nato flag, working to help these military forces be reassured if russia makes a move. they will not fight the russians. they will not go into ukraine. why now? and is there any suspicion putin would make a move into any of these countries? the pentagon is not really saying it doesn't think so but is emphasizing this is part of the overall commitment to the nato alliance to show putin these countries will be defended if it came to that. >> part of the deterrent strategy. nic, how is moscow and the russian president responding to