are showing us getting closer to ukraine s borders. there s concern in washington the russiians will invade. how does president biden show leadership after stumbling at the news conference earlier in the week? he tried to clean it up and heard in jeff s piece the secretary of state very, very clear any incursion is considered an act of aggression that would be responded to. what really matters now it appears is what s going on behind the scenes as opposed to that public stumble as you called it. things have really changed over the past 48 hours since that press conference. especially given that the secretary of state is talking to his counter part of russia and there s no question that there
were to happen and most part try to precook it as much as possible and hard to imagine president biden going into it without a clear sense of where he can and wants to go with vladimir putin. it seems to me they try to keep as many diplomatic nonmilitary channels open as possible up to the highest levels. at this point, clarissa, does vladimir putin have an off ramp as they say? is there a way to save face in the mid st of this? reporter: that s a good question. it s one i scratch my head to answer because the russian side is so public and beling rent with the maximalist demands. had they not painted themselves into a corner what extraction do they hope to gain?
who survived the access hollywood video scandal. escaped the mueller probe. two impeachments. relatively unscathed. not convicted in the u.s. senate. why would the new challenges be worse? he is not president anymore. that s it. when former attorney general barr decided he wouldn t be charged with obstruction. he is not president. i presume he will be deposed and also don t forget in congress what they do with the january committee is not necessarily looking to say he is gltd of a criminal act. i think in talking to my sources they may want to say, look, he violated the constitution and provoked an insurrection.
with president biden and said there s no such thing as a minor incursion. today it was a message of gratitude for support over the years. there is a sense that if the talks are continuing potentially the threat is lessened but no one here trusting that russia is entering boo the diplomatic efforts with a genuine spirit of goodwill. nervousness. stay with us and bring in diplomatic editor nic robert sorn from moscow and chief political correspondent dana bash. both russia and the u.s. are trying to lower expectations around the talks and the u.s. is preparing military options. what does that say about the chances for de-escalation? reporter: yeah. i think we got an insight into lavrov s thinking on
secretary of state blinken who delivered a fresh warning today meeting face to face with sergei lavrov. we have been clear if any russian military forces move across the ukraine border it will be met with swoifrt, severe and a united response from the united states and our partners and allies. reporter: he said the meeting was not a negotiation with russia but another chance to make clear the kconsequences of invading ukraine. we ll find a way forward through dialogue and equal in the resolve of kons enss should russia choose that path. reporter: with russia moving the forces to the capital and the u.s. stepping up the military aid a potential confrontation is rattling nerves. the rising threats of a new cold war as biden met with the japanese prime minister.