Book your ticket to happiness with Sun Express Airlines. I'm John thatuts with my colleague and friend Anatole

leaving the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

Ukraine-Russia war means NATO is involved profoundly. We have an editor from the Bloomberg pages

these last days pointing to the anxiety in the Baltics, that's Estonia the smallest lot via Lithuania the largest the headline reads

NATO must boost its defense of the Baltics subhead issuing an arrest warrant for Estonia's Prime Minister is just the latest sign of where

Vladimir Putin's aggressions will turn to next.

Anatole, you know the story well.

The Baltics believe they're next on the shopping list so does Moldova which is not a

member of NATO not even a member of the EU it's borders the Danube it's right opposite

Romania is very near to Odessa and it doesn't have any defenses already part of it is in

revolt transnistria but it's also true in Poland and also I there's a report that the Western Balkans are being stirred for a new front.

That would be Vouchich attacking Kosovo, that unsolved wound from the late 20th century. Your measure of NATO is now boasting

about how it's increasing its expense spending is spending is this going in a good direction back to deterrence so that there's

stability in Europe? Are we looking for a larger war in the future and people are

buying guns and not butter.

Well, look, I mean, first of all, let's look at military realities.

And Russia cannot attack Moldova without crossing the whole of Ukraine, which it has significantly

failed to do.

It cannot get to Moldova. The Black Sea fleet is incapable of landing on the Ukrainian coast. There is a real problem

about the Russian-backed separatist area of Transnestria, but Transnestria is completely cut off from Russia by Ukraine and Moldova.

I mean if anywhere is endangered, it's Transnestria, not Moldova. I mean if anywhere is endangered it's transnestria not Moldova at the moment.

The Putin and every Russian official I've ever talked to has stressed repeatedly.

...