will leave no diplomatic stone unturned and requesting a meeting next week with his russian counterpart, sergei lavrov. but today, we also saw russia put up a road bloc in the face of those diplomatic hopes. in a written response to the united states s response to russia s security demands, moscow insists, quote, there is no russian invasion of ukraine. and says that its proposals for a freeze on nato expansion were ignored. the possibly imminent attack on ukraine by russia is where we start this hour with some of our favorite reporters and friends. nbc news correspondent erin mclaughlin is live in kyiv and wall street journal moscow bureau chief ann simmons joins us, a long-time student of russia, she previously worked in moscow for time magazine. i want to start with what s happening on the ground and this sort of explanation that s been thrown around here about a false pretext. that is very real on the ground in ukraine, and erin, i wonder if you can tell us what happened
russian separatists accused of staging the incident. no evidence any of this is true. and today, as expected, president putin doubling down. without evidence claiming the situation in eastern ukraine is escalating. but even now saying russia was still open the further diplomacy if all his security demands were on the table to negotiate. the now very real fear is putin s forces amassed at the border will invade under the pretext of protecting the russian speaking population there. the ukrainian government today categorically denying any attention of launching an offensive. the president urges calm. the people are getting ready. this gun club seeing more than a 500% increase in members in the last three weeks. today, even workers from the local water supply station in lviv taking up arms to protect their city, families, and country.
protests on the streets of russia. so what is his strategy? kirsten reports. protests tonight across russia. in more than 50 cities, according to an end geo. presidents, and bowed, confidently declaring that russia remains part of the global economy. reassuring russian business losers. his comments made before president biden made his announcement. his early morning television address was unscripted and often ominous. seeing his security demands were ignored by nato and americans. they say russia s nuclear capability, warning if his enemies interfere, the consequences would be as such that you ve never seen in your entire history. but we found some of his own people are now frightened. it s a tragedy. there are no longer supporting the russian
back with more coverage of the full-scale russian invasion of ukraine now under way. inside russia tonight, president vladimir putin remaining defiant even as he faces growing protests keir simmons is in moscow reporter: protests tonight across russia. in more than 50 cities, according to an ngo vladimir putin unbound, confidently declaring russia remains part of the global economy, reassuring russian business leaders his comments made before president biden s latest sanctions announcement his early morning television address was unscripted and often ominous. saying his security demands were ignored by nato and america. referencing russia s nuclear capability
policy one dropped. the russian economy is much more substantially affected, actually, by shifts in the oil price than by western economic action. on the oil prices shooting up action. on the oil prices shooting up at the moment. 50. action. on the oil prices shooting up at the moment. action. on the oil prices shooting up at the moment. so, if sanctions don t work up at the moment. so, if sanctions don t work with up at the moment. so, if sanctions don t work with president - up at the moment. so, if sanctions don t work with president putin, i don t work with president putin, then what? then what? well, that s a good question- then what? well, that s a good question- as then what? well, that s a good question. as i then what? well, that s a good question. as i say, then what? well, that s a good question. as i say, the - then what? well, that s a good | question. as i say, the russians will have difficulty sorting out the situation in ukraine once they have occupied it,