About this episode
Diplomatic efforts to avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine have failed to ease tensions — and that has huge stakes for Ukraine, for Europe and for America’s standing in the world. Read more: The U.S. State Department has announced that the U.S. will close its embassy in Ukraine’s capital , with remaining embassy personnel being relocated closer to the border with Poland because of mounting U.S. fears of an invasion by Russia . Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to leave the diplomatic door open, but as national security reporter Shane Harris explains, talks aren’t producing any breakthroughs.