Political Rewind: Retired 4-star Gen. Phil Breedlove on Ukraine as Russia reports advances

Caption

Children Vlada, left, Katrin and Danilo look out from a window of an unheated train carriage of an emergency evacuation train which is travelling from Kharkov to Lviv, as it stopped in the Kyiv railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022.

Credit: Andriy Dubchak, AP

The Panel: 

Dr. Alan Abramowitz — Professor emeritus of political science, Emory University

Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gen. Phillip Breedlove — Former commander, U.S. European Command and 17th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, professor at Sam Nunn School of International Affairs

Dr. Tammy Greer — Political science professor, Clark Atlanta University

The Breakdown:

1. Russia appears to gain control of key port city in Ukraine. 

• Russian officials said the port city of Kherson fell to its control, according to reports from NPR. 
• The United Nations reports one million refugees have fled Ukraine. About half are in Poland, with Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia being the other top destinations.

2. What does the conflict in Ukraine mean for Americans?

• The Biden administration is asking Congress for additional funds to help Ukraine.

• The United States is deploying soldiers to Eastern Europe to help manage the influx of refugees from the conflict.

  • 3,800 troops from the 1st Armored Brigade of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, based at nearby Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia, were ordered to deploy to Europe after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

  • The president stressed U.S. troops will not engage in combat operations.

3. What are the next steps as the international community looks to ramps up the consequences for Russia?

• Ukrainian officials are asking NATO and the United States to enforce a "no-fly zone" around the country to limit the ability of Russian forces to strike with their air forces.
  • The move is opposed by many high-ranking officials in Europe and the United States, including White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
• After Ukraine, international relations experts say they are concerns Vladimir Putin's Russia might step up expansion in other theaters, including Belarus, Moldova and Georgia.

Tomorrow on Political Rewind: Our show is back on video. Watch on GPB.org and Facebook.com/GPBnews, and find the show on GPB-TV at 7 p.m. Friday.