covich putin was supporting a suppression on human rights. can putin allow independent ukraine that is allied with the west, at least economically? is that something you believe a russian leader like putin could allow? including or without crimea. give him crimea. probably so but it would depend on the conditions. i m struck by your introduction in the show. let me go back to that. i think we re two steps from a cuban missile crisis and three steps from war with russia for the first time. part of the problem is, as you pointed out, we don t hear what russia is saying. part of the reason for that is, is that anybody who tries to explain what russia is saying, it s called a putin apologist. we need to get a negotiation going on. we re told putin and obama are talking past each other.