From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

Vladimir Putin and the ghost convoy.

Hello again, I'm Armin Almi, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

Almost 300 Russian army trucks painted white are somewhere on the road between Moscow and the eastern Ukrainian border.

Vladimir Putin calls the convoy humanitarian aid for a crisis the West is ignoring.

Ukraine suspects it's a Trojan horse to help Russian separatists.

With Russian troops already stationed near the border, the world is watching the so to help Russian separatists. With Russian troops already stationed

near the border, the world is watching the so-called ghost convoy on tour. Meantime, there

are calls for the U.S. to send arms to Ukraine and more economic sanctions to isolate Putin.

We'll hear the pros and cons. Today's talking point, Biden breaks up with Maliki. First, here's the news.

Listen to KCRW's 24-hour all-news channel. Stream BBC World Service, NPRW programs,

continuous coverage and accessible via our smartphone app or online at kCRW.

Support for To The Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International Program Fund.

Hello again, Warren. I'll be back with To the Point.

The world is watching to see what happens to the ghost convoy on tour, 278 white army trucks heading from Moscow to the Ukrainian border.

Meantime, can the U.S. and Europe keep Russia from dividing that neighboring country?

We'll hear more about that today.

Today's talking point,

Vice President Joe Biden is famous for diplomacy by telephone. This week, he stiffed Nuri Al Maliki, who's been fighting to stay on as Iraq's prime minister and called Maliki's rival instead.

We'll hear what that means for U.S. policy toward a change of leadership in Iraq.

First, this news update, since police killed an unarmed black man on Saturday, there's been widespread protest in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri.

...