Biden Holds Out Hope for Diplomatic Solution In Ukraine

The NPR Politics Podcast

NPR

Politics, Daily News, News

4.5 • 24.9K Ratings

🗓️ 16 February 2022

⏱️ 14 minutes

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Summary

The president says that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is still "distinctly possible," but that diplomatic talks to avert an attack are continuing. And later this week, Vice President Harris will discuss the crisis with European allies at the Munich Security Conference.

Meanwhile, former President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are at odds over the integrity of the 2020 election. It could determine the future of the Republican Party.

This episode: White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe, White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez, and editor/correspondent Ron Elving. Mara Liasson.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, this is Laura in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm sitting here with my 16-year-old pug apple and my
0:05.1	three-year-old pugs, Mabel and Rosie. Did you know that pugs snore when they sleep and that a pack
0:10.2	of pugs is called a grumble? This podcast was recorded at... It is to 8pm on Wednesday, February 16th,
0:19.4	2022. Things may have changed by the time you listen to it, but hopefully you've gone out and
0:24.0	got a pug of your own. Okay, here's the show. I always thought pugs kind of snore just all the time.
0:35.2	Just breathe in. Really? Really kind of snorting. Maybe they sleep all the time. They are very, very adorable, though.
0:41.0	Yeah. Hey there, it's the MPR Politics Podcast. I'm Aisha Roscoe. I cover the White House.
0:48.1	I'm Franco Ordoniaz. I also cover the White House. And I'm Ron Elving, Editor Correspondent.
0:52.7	We're going to start today talking about the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
1:00.4	President Biden said yesterday that a Russian invasion is still, quote, distinctly possible.
1:07.6	But he held out hope that diplomatic talks could avert an attack from continuing.
1:14.2	The Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, told ABC this morning that Vladimir Putin could take military
1:22.4	action at any time. President Putin's put in place the capacity to act on very short notice.
1:27.6	He can pull the trigger. He could pull it today. He could pull it tomorrow. He could pull it next week.
1:32.3	The forces are there if he wants to renew aggression against Ukraine.
1:35.3	So Franco, let's start with the president's remarks yesterday. What was Biden's message in that speech?
1:42.3	The message to Russia is, as Biden has said before, that should Moscow invade Ukraine,
1:48.8	that Russia is going to be hit with really, really strong sanctions. That President Biden says Putin
1:54.9	has never experienced before. And that such an invasion would cause tremendous human suffering,
2:02.0	and needless death and destruction, but also hurt Russia's standing in the global world.
2:08.3	But at the same time, he is saying that there is still an avenue for those diplomatic talks to continue.
2:15.0	I guess I wonder, Ron, can you set the scene for what this moment is? To have Russia
	...

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