From the New York Times, I'm Catran Benhold, and this is the Daily.

Over the past few weeks, a growing sense of alarm across Europe has turned into outright panic over the future of its security.

Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the key eastern town of Avdivka.

As Russia is advancing on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Congressional inaction has meant that Ukrainian forces were outgunned,

they were outmaned and they were ultimately forced to withdraw.

The US Congress has refused to pass billions of dollars in new funding for Ukraine's

war effort.

NATO was busted until I came along. I said everybody's going to pay. They said, well, if we don't pay, are you still going to protect us?

I said,

Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, has warned European leaders that if they

don't pay the fair share towards NATO.

No I would not protect you. In fact I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.

You gotta pay. He would encourage Russia to attack them and

condemnation is ringing out tonight after news Russian opposition leader

Alexi Navalny has died.

Russia's loudest voice of internal dissent, Alexi Navallny, has died in prison.

Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navallny's death.

Today, my colleague Stephen Erlanger on Europe's plans to defend itself against Russia without the help of the US.

It's Wednesday, February 21st. Steve, you are conveniently for the purposes of this conversation at a major conference devoted to the security of Europe, which for a variety of reasons

is feeling very insecure at the moment.

Insecure because of what Donald Trump just said and because Russia seems to be defeating Ukraine in some key battles and so I'm curious what the mood has been at this conference.

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