Would Russia really invade Ukraine? Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are speaking by video link after more than a month of escalation in eastern Ukraine and across the Russian border, where a troop build-up has got NATO allies warning of red lines and harsh sanctions if those troops cross over. We debrief the virtual summit and Washington's threat to send more troops to Eastern Europe in case of attack.
The US would not send troops to Ukraine itself, which is not a member of NATO. That's where the Kremlin's own red lines start. The Russian president wants the West to recognise that this former Soviet state is off-limits to the kind of Westernisation seen in the Baltic republics.
It is not just Vladimir Putin: Russians see Ukraine as part of their sphere of influence, somewhat like Belarus. We ask about that perception, how it may be evolving and what Ukrainians themselves want. How do they feel about Russia the nation, Russia the culture, with their own president a native Russian speaker? Seven years after the Maidan revolution in Kiev and Moscow's annexation of Crimea, are we witnessing the theatrics of a frozen conflict, or is it about to get a lot more volatile?
Produced by Charles Wente, Juliette Laurain and Imen Mellaz.
