This is the Kator Daily Podcast for Saturday, January 22, I'm Caleb Brown.

What does Russia want from the US with respect to Ukraine?

And why is the US less than clear in stating what it wants out of Ukraine and what it wants

for Ukraine?

And is the U.S. really prepared to go to war over a country that's not of much importance to U.S. security.

Caters Doug Bandau and Brandon Valeriano give a sense of the state of play.

Given the U.S. history with Ukraine and the U.S. history with Russia Doug what could Ukraine for forgiven rather for believing that the US owes Ukraine?

Well the United States has gone out of its way. believing that the US owes Ukraine?

Well, the United States has gone out of its way to suggest to Ukraine

that it's very likely to end up a NATO member

without ever actually saying that it will end up a NATO member.

And it's one of the problems, and it's not just the United States that the Secretary General of NATO himself,

you know, lots of meetings, lots of very suggestive quotes the defense

secretary went over to Europe and put out a press release saying that he would be

urging Ukraine to make all of the reforms necessary that would allow it to join.

So one can certainly imagine why the Ukrainians might think that they are owed membership in Ukraine.

And if they think that, why shouldn't it be sooner rather than later?

It's a very dangerous misperception.

Most people outside of Ukraine don't believe that, but you can imagine a Ukraine under pressure

might very well fall for that.

Brandon, what's a reasonable read from Russia regarding the discussions, the hints that Ukraine would be admitted to NATO and what's

a rational response from them?

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