This is CBSI in the world. I'm John Bats with Colonel Jeff McCauzz and my colleague.

He's CBS News, US Army retired artilleryman, as well as a visiting professor at Dickinson

College and the CEO of Diamond Six leadership and strategy.

Moldova, about two and a half million people, speaking Russian, once upon a time it was

part of the Soviet socialist republics and Russian speakers.

But it is a European Union applicant. It is not a member of NATO. It is landlocked.

On one side is Ukraine, on the other side is Romania.

And over these last weeks it is directly threatened by rumors, by disinformation, by the activities

of people who live in Romania and are suspect as having loyalty towards Russia.

And why it matters now is not only Moldova, but Bordas Romania, which is a member of NATO

and which is hosting the 101st Airborne and other military units from NATO.

This is the frontier with Ukraine, but also because the Russians moving effectively against

Kishino, the capital of Moldova, would put a Russian presence behind Odessa on a flank

that would at very least require Ukraine to divert some of its resources to that part

of the map.

Jeff, I can't tell whether this is Russia being a huff and puff or whether this would be

strategically wise for Russia to cause this disorder in the Black Sea basin.

What is your measure?

Well, the one hand, John, this is consistent with what we talked about a moment ago, which

is hybrid warfare.

How do we get the west?

How do we get the west to look at something other than what's going on right in front

...