situationroom for a secure video conference with boris johnson and the leaders of france and germany as well. but for now, that's going to wrap up this hour. i'm chris jansing. jose diaz-balart picks up breaking news coverage right now. good morning, 10:00 a.m. eastern, 7:00 a.m. pacific. i'm jose diaz-balart. and we have things happening in ukraine as we speak. civilian casualties are mounting as russian forces ramp up intense shelling across major cities and close in on kyiv. we'll bring you the very latest from ukraine. meanwhile, in russia, moscow cracks down on dissidents at home, after thousands flooded the streets in protest of the invasion. all of this as 1.7 million ukrainians have now fled into neighboring countries, in what a u.n. official calls the fastest-growing refugee crisis since the world war. since the second world war. we're going to get a live report from the polish border. meanwhile, here in the u.s., with crude oil hitting a 13-year high, drivers are stretching

their gas tanks in the wake of climbing prices at the pump. and we begin this morning with the very latest on the 12th day of russia's invasion of ukraine. russian troops are pushing closer to the edge, to the capital of kyiv, but they continue to face fierce resistance from ukrainian forces. ukrainian officials say russia is attacking civilians who are trying to flee areas that are under bombardment. nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel has more from outside of kyiv. >> reporter: the russians have now arrived at the gates of kyiv. this foot bridge is one of the only ways people are able to escape a much more intense battle on the side that the russians have taken over and get to relative safety. the russians have taken over this suburb, which is on the northern edge of kyiv. they are bombarding it heavily. the ukrainians blew up this

bridge in order to slow down the russian advance, but it has also made it extremely difficult for people to evacuate these areas that are hotly contested, as russian forces try consolidate their positions and the ukrainians try to keep them -- keep them on that side of the river. and all day, we have seen a stream of panicked people, some being carried, some in wheelchairs, they are each carrying one bag at a maximum. some families have been separated here, broken down into tiers. but this is now a small evacuation. a reverse evacuation, where people are leaving the suburbs, heading into the center of kyiv, hoping they can find relative safety there in numbers, in the built up part of the city. >> richard engel, thank you. this comes as ukraine rejected a russian offer for a cease-fire and the opening of humanitarian corridors out of several major ukrainian cities, saying the

proposed routes would lead to russia or its close ally, belarus. meantime, ukrainian officials have arrived in belarus for another round of talks with russia after two previous meetings failed to produce a breakthrough. and turkey's foreign minister tweeted that the ukrainian and russian foreign ministers will meet on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in turkey later this week. later this hour, the white house says president biden will hold a secure video conference with leaders from france, germany, and the united kingdom to discuss the latest developments regarding the crisis in ukraine. with us now, from lviv, ukraine, is nbc news correspondent, erin mclaughlin. there have been a number of efforts aimed at allowing civilians trapped in these besieged cities getting out, but they've ended up collapsing. you have been speaking to people who have stayed behind. what are they telling you? >> reporter: that's right, jose. i've been speaking to civilians trapped in some of these cities all morning. and they're describing desperate and harrowing situations. i was speaking to a woman named

irina. she is trapped 18 miles from the russian border. she said just before the war, she went to the city -- she lives in kyiv. she went there to visit her mother and her grandmother. the wear broke out. she woke up one morning. the city surrounded by russian forces. she says she doesn'tknow what to do and she doesn't know what's going to happen next. take a listen. >> the reality changed. it changed so fast that you cannot still accept it. we were thinking a lot of times about going out from the city, but it's too dangerous. and it's getting more dangerous every day, but i can't force my mom to leave the house. i cannot force my granny. she wants to stay here. i have only one choice, if i will take the risk of leaving the city to leave them here. but how can i leave them here? it's hard to make this kind of a decision. so now we don't know what to do.

we just hope for the best, but getting ready for the worst. we just hope for the best. sorry for crying, but it's too complicated. anyway -- >> what else can you do? >> i don't know. if the situation will get worse, of course, we will have no choice as to try to leave the city. but it's still very dangerous. >> reporter: i spoke to her earlier in the morning about an hour ago. she texted me to say that they'd lost electricity. and i've lost contact with her since. so many ukrainians now are without contact to the outside world. i was also talking to another woman who says that she escaped the city of volinahov, to the

schoot. she said when she was there, it was relentless shelling day and night. she took refuge in a small shelter with five other people. it was so crammed that she had to sleep sitting up. they lost water, they had no power, no food. and finally, they had no choice but to make a run for it. they got into their car, drove off. not knowing if russian soldiers were going to fire on them. this is the reality facing so many ukrainians right now. we saw footage from volinahov showing people on the streets, their longings in plastic bags with pillows and blankets, making a run for it on foot. and the one thing really struck me when i spoke to irina. she was saying, 12 years ago, she had a normal life. she loved her life. she had so much to look forward to. she said, all of that changed in an instant. and he also says that she has very little hope. she says she's taking russian president vladimir putin at his word when he says he's not going to stop this offensive. jose? >> and you know, erin, as we're

seeing this map of ukraine and the very many different areas that are showing russian attacks, you know, we're talking, erin, there are little villages and towns and cities that are feeling this relentless bombardment 24 hours a day. >> reporter: absolutely, jose. and the city where i'm at now is lviv, which is the western portion of ukraine. it's widely regarded to be one of the safest places, but walking the streets of lviv, you definitely get a sense of unease. this is a city that knows that they could be a target. they have police roaming the streets, stopping people. they have a curfew in place at night. they're boarding up their precious mosaics and monuments, knowing that they also could be next. thousands and thousands,

millions of ukrainians living in this reality right now, jose. >> and erin, also, lviv is an area that is seeing most of the people that have had to leave their towns and their cities going there with the hopes of getting to poland and maybe just surviving. >> reporter: yeah, that's right. i was outside of the main train station here in lviv just days ago and it was staggering to see. thousands of people pouring out of the station, destination unknown. i spoke to one family, a family of four, a father carrying their belongings in plastic bags. and he told me, he was coming from kyiv. he said, it's danger, it's dangerous. but he had no choice but to leave his home, to leave everything he knew behind, to flee for lviv. and he didn't know where he was going to go next. and so many, 1.25 million refugees facing that kind of reality right now. jose? >> and erin, as you say, just 12

to 14 days ago, their realities were so, so different. erin mclaughlin in lviv, thank you for being with us. sky news is talking to families who have fleed their homes, just outside of kharkiv. some say russian forces are targeting schools and hospitals here and the children have been killed in the conflict. our special correspondent alex crawford reports. >> reporter: they were running for their lives. frantically trying to keep their families together, amid the mayhem and gunfire. desperately handing over their toddlers to soldiers and strangers. scrambling to get away from the firing and shelling, even as they fled. many have spent days under fire, trapped in their homes, until they realized it was run or die, with the russians getting closer.

>> reporter: on the outskirts of the capital is being relentlessly shelled, and there's no escape, not even for the civilians you can see at the top of your picture, running with their cases to get away. this is an entirely residential area. two children and their mother were killed outright. but this area is filled with families, utterly powerless against this attacking army. the bombed bridge is now a target for the russian troops. and those trying to escape came under fire several times. the ukrainian soldiers tried to shoot down drones,. itting the positions of the

fleeing families. [ gunfire ] those rushing to get out are the most vulnerable, who felt too nervous to try to escape until now, when there was no other option. but this route used by hundreds 24 hours earlier is now desperately dangerous. and the attackers are showing no mercy. well, that was the loudest we've heard. >> let's go. >> yeah, we better get out now. there's a lot of incoming now and it's getting a lot closer. the russian military is pushing forward towards the capital and is taking ground, killing and injuring as they do so. and a lot of the casualties are civilians, hurt by shrapnel and mortars, fired in heavily populated builtup areas. attacking civilians and noncombatants is an

international war crime and multiple families gave us firsthand accounts. many who only just survived themselves. >> translator: i was helping people evacuate near the bridge and i wanted to give some chocolate to a child and there was a family of four there, but only the mother survived. a child about 13 or 15 was hit by two bits of shrapnel in the head and died immediately. all three of them died. >> reporter: president putin says he's not attacking civilians, what would you say to that? they're shelling civilians directly, she tells us. not any military place or object. they're shooting on schools and hospitals, they're shooting everywhere, all the time for the last three days. >> that's what they've come from. they show us the damage done to their home and the residential buildings around them and in their street. >> translator: when we got out of our home, i saw five, six shells, maybe. every building was destroyed. the stream of people fleeing are

traumatized, but also many angry and full of despair. putin's a war criminal, she says, the antichrist. you've been waiting for him, now you've got him. families have been torn apart in the chaos. they ran into urban from a village outside before escape ing urpin, too, and they've left elderly residents bnt. >> our house is on fire. >> reporter: how much destruction is there that you can see in the town center? >> i think all -- all destroyed. there is nothing to help -- there is nothing to build or defend. there's nothing. >> reporter: i came here and i left my parents to die, she tells us. i told my husband, you've got to go back and bring them here, because i can't just leave them to die. but in amongst the suffering and trauma, there are small glimpses of hope. her 81-year-old mother and

father are found. and the family is reunited. how could i live without you, she says. there is incredible heartache and fear, but also an astonishing defiance about these people. >> sky news's alex crawford. thank you for that report. joining us from the western ukrainian area on the phone, alexi sorkin, political editor at the kyiv independent. alexi, thank you for being with us today. tell us what is the latest on the ground? what are you seeing? >> well, obviously, right now, the worst fighting is taking place northwest of kyiv. those were once prosperous kyiv suburbs, now completely destroyed. people are trying to evacuate. russia continues to shell civilians. also, we know that fighting is

ongoing in high kyiv and in ukraine's south, in mariupol and the kaliv. all of those cities are facing russian shelling. there's multiple reports about russia attacking residential areas. and every day, when we wake up, we have tens of civilians dead, injured, and houses ruined. it's awful. >> it certainly is awful. and as russian forces continue to make advances, in some areas, we've seen videos like this one, olexi, where a man climbs on to what ukraine police identified as a russian military vehicle, waving the ukrainian flag. the ukrainian people have been just so extraordinary. how, alexi, would you describe that spirit of the ukrainians under such difficult, horrible situations?

>> i think that's what russians miscalculated, is how the population, people who didn't have prior military experience, are united against the common enemy. how people even in the occupied region, such as kherson, they take the streets with their bare hands, they stop tanks. they have ukrainian flags and that's about it. that's what russia didn't expect. that the whole country will oppose the invasion. >> how long can they keep this up, olexi. how long you continue to resist against this overwhelming destruction, death, and just horrible blood? >> well, again, all ukrainians that i've spoken to, nobody is willing to give up. ukraine will fight to the last bullet. even without bullets, we see

people protesting, taking the streets. so i just don't image how russian can overrun ukraine. >> you know, last hour, ukrainian and russian officials met again to begin the third round of talks. what do you think can be achieved at this meeting today? >> personally, i think nothing. the previous two rounds were tasked with finding a solution to evacuate citizens from the city of mariupol. russia promised a humanitarian corridor. both times this wasn't the case. russia continued shelling people fleeing. we saw this in ukraine where a family of four, a family, a mom and a dad were killed by a russian missile. so unfortunately, i don't see how anything can come up from this. >> if you could speak to president biden, what would you tell him?

>> obviously, all ukrainians are asking for nato countries to close the skies, for a no-fly zone, because that's where the damage is. that's why the ukrainians are scared to go to sleep at night. because at night, russia bombs residential areas. the minister of education said that 222 schools and kindergartens were damaged by russian missiles. so all ukrainians, they want and they ask and they plea for a no-fly zone. obviously, we don't see this happening because the u.s. said it won't do it, but that's the only solution and that's what we need right now. >> olexi sorkin, thank you very much for being with us today. take care and let's continue our conversation going forward. thank you for your time. coming up, lieutenant colonel alexander vimman, a former member of the national

security counsel joins us to talk about what the u.s. needs to do more to help ukraine. plus, gas prices, you know this, skyrocketing. we're live in california, where prices are as high as -- well, more than $7 a gallon. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." diaz-balart reports. as a struggling actor, i need all the breaks that i can get. at liberty butchumal- cut. liberty biberty- cut. we'll dub it. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ when it comes to pain medicine, less is more. aleve gives long-lasting freedom from pain, with fewer pills than tylenol. instead of taking pills every 4-6 hours, aleve works up to 12-hours so you can focus on what matters. aleve. less pills. more relief if you have copd, ask your doctor about breztri. breztri gives me better breathing and helps prevent flare-ups. before breztri, i was stuck in the past. i still had bad days,

flare-ups which kept me from doing what i love. my doctor said for my copd, it was time for breztri. breztri gives you better breathing, symptom improvement, and helps prevent flare-ups. like no other copd medicine, breztri was proven to reduce flare-ups by 52%. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. if you have copd, ask your doctor about breztri.

22 past the hour. thousands, thousands of refugees are fleeing ukraine every single day. most of them are going to

poland. joining us now, julio vaqaeda, he is live in the polish/ukrainian border. julio, what are you seeing. this is the biggest crisis of migrants since world war ii in europe. >> reporter: it is, jose. thanks for having me. we're right in front of the train station here, right next to the border with ukraine. that's exactly what we've seen, a real humanitarian crisis firsthand. this is the point where many refugees have been arriving on train and it's, according to united nations, more than a million and a half refugees have flown ukraine so far. most of them, as you've said, have arrived in poland. and more than half of them, according to united nations, are children. and that's exactly what sweechb. a lot of children, with hair mothers, as we know, men aren't allowed to leave ukraine. so these are broken families, that have left everything

behind, just escaping from violence and escaping from war. and this is a pretty small train station, so we've spoken to workers here. they say that they are overwhelmed. they need help, and we've seen some volunteers who come here and offer food and clothes and basic items to the refugees who are arriving here. the polish government has been very open. they've received these refugees. they are offering transport to take them to refugee centers across poland and in different countries in the eu. because they don't want to -- all of them to gather here next to the border. they want to improve the situation here, and avoid a bigger crisis here. >> julio, you have covered the world. we have been in situations where refugees have come from all over central america, you know, haitian people are leaving that island to come to the united states to avoid that.

the solidarity -- the world solidarity seems so much more here, julio. >> reporter: i agree, jose. this crisis hits home. you and i can feel related to this. we've covered a lot of immigration and people migrating in central america and in mexico to the u.s. and this is a very similar situation, just people escaping from the violence and the war. the difference here is it all happened from one day to the next. and people here didn't expect things. but the same thing, they're leaving home, leigh family behind, and trying to find an opportunity. everything is an unknown for them. they don't know where they're going to wake up tomorrow, where they're going to sleep tomorrow. it is a very tough situation. just an hour ago, a train from kyiv arrived in this station. we had to opportunity to talk to some of the women and the children who just arrived and

it's so hard for them to talk about what's happening in kyiv, their own city. it was very touching and moving to see these families and speak to them. >> and julio, i was watching your extraordinary reporting on telemundo where you talk about how difficult it is for mothers to smile when they are arriving in poland and they have no idea of what their future looks like, but they're doing that smiling, because their children continue to smile with hope. >> that's right, jose. that's probably one of the most incredible parts of this story. the strength of the ukrainian people. from the people who have stayed and the people who have fleed, to try to find an opportunity of their own country. and that strength can be seen in their smiles, because they do smile. although they're going through very, huge difficultties, they do smile. and that's just impressive.

>> julio vaquero, thank you so much for being with us. i really appreciate your time. this morning, russia's assault on ukraine intensifies as civilian casualties continue to climb. and the pentagon press secretary is expected to hold a briefing this afternoon. joining us now, admiral james stavridis, former supreme allied commander of nato. he is msnbc's chief international security and diplomacy analyst. he's also the author of "the accidental admiral." admiral, it is always great to see you. we're learning russian troops are now on the doorstep of drive. ukrainian forces are not backing down. what does the fight look like for the city in the next couple of days. >> we've seen this as a u.s. military, when we were in the fight for baghdad. urban warfare is ugly. and vladimir putin is about to find himself on the receiving end of tens of thousands of very angry, very well-armed, for that kind of combat, ukrainians.

the pentagon has been flowing precisely the type of weapons necessary for that into the hands of ukrainians. i think vladimir putin's forces are in for the fight of a lifetime, right to take that massive city. and, oh, by the way, julio, at the opposite end of the technology spectrum, i think we're going to hear from john kirby this afternoon, the pentagon press secretary, that we are closing in and are very close on the deal that will give mig 29 combat aircraft from poland to the ukrainians. they know how to fight them. the u.s. will backfill with f-16s. every conceivable weapons system is flowing into ukraine that will arm these brave fighters. >> it's something that the ukrainians have been screaming for for days now. i'm so concerned when you see how this invasion is escalating putin has the experience of grosny and aleppo.

is that something that we could be seeing in kyiv or in other cities? >> well, let us hope that at some point, the light goes on for vladimir putin that he and his generals and down to the foot soldiers who are pulling the cords on the artillery, that they are directing against residential areas, killing civilians. heartbreaking images. these are war crimes. and their ability to escape accountability is diminishing with each of these filmed and shown again and again. in a certain way, i would say, jose, that the best weapon we have here is truth. and the more we can shine it, the more we can display it to the world, the more everyone will rally. and i think that's why the conversation you and julio had a moment ago is so accurate. the world is against what vladimir putin is doing.

let's continue to shine a light on it. truth is our weapon. >> admiral stavridis, thank you so much for being with us this morning. very much appreciate it. up next, trump whistleblower, lieutenant colonel alex vindman joins me with what he thinks it will take to end the war in ukraine. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. ing diaz-balart reports" on msnbc. ” . no wayyyy. no waaayyy! no way! [phone ringing] hm. no way! no way! priceline. every trip is a big deal. knowing where you came from, it gives you a sense of “this is who i am”. oh my goodness... wow, look at all those! you get hungry for more and then you're just like, “wow, i'm learning about my family.” yeah, yep. which one, what'd you find? lorraine banks, look, county of macomb, michigan? look at grandma... hey grandma! unbelievable. everybody deserves to know who they are and where they came from. ohhh...cool. this whole journey has been such a huge gift for our family.

welcome to the eat fresh refresh at subway wait, that's new wait, you're new too nobody told you? subway's refreshing with better ingredients, better footlongs, and better spokespeople. because you gotta you gotta refresh to be fresh ♪ ♪ because you gotta aleve x. its revolutionary rollerball design delivers fast, powerful, long-lasting pain relief. aleve it, and see what's possible. age before beauty? why not both? visibly diminish wrinkled skin in... crepe corrector lotion... only from gold bond.

33 past the hour. this morning, americans filling up their tank for their monday commutes are paying some of the highest prices the nation has seen in over ten years. this comes as the price of crude oil shot up over $130 a barrel at one point overnight, in light of russia's invasion of ukraine. the national average cost for a gallon of gas now sits at just over $4, compared to around $3.60 just last week. and now two people familiar tell "the washington post" that a group of u.s. officials traveled to venezuela over the weekend, to discuss the possibility of easing sanctions on oil expors with the regime's nicolas maduro. joining us now is nbc news, business and tech correspondent, j ling kent live from los angeles.

how are people coping with these record-high gas prices? >> we're here at a gas station in los angeles where a gallon of regular is $6.98, premium, about $7.29. the price is off the charts. the national average, $4.07. you do the math and know that 64% of americans live paycheck to paycheck. individuals on fixed income, hit particularly hard. i interviewed carolyn heartfield about her experience in atlanta, where she's already grappling with high inflation. this is what she told me. >> the last time i put gas in my car, when it got to $40, i quit! and it still wasn't full! i do not do unnecessary trips. >> how much you looking forward to the day that gas costs less? >> oh, my gosh, i'm really looking forward to that. >> reporter: carolyn says that she hopes that she'll eventually be able to make those road trips

down to florida that she's missing out on. but what she experiences and what she does is basically ration her driving. and that's what a lot of americans are doing right now. she'll never go out except for when she has multiple errands to run on an efficient route. because every single dollar for her matters at the pump. you can imagine if the national average is 4.07, it's expected to continue to rise, jose. and so she's looking at her budget very, very closely and trying to maintain that positive attitude. >> j ling kent in los angeles. thank you so much. up next, what the u.s. should be doing to help ukraine battle russia's invasion. lieutenant alexander vindman joins us next. invasion lieutenant alexander vindman joins us next. is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara® can provide relief, and is the first approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? back off, uc!

stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options. thanks to realtor.com's home alerts we were able to see the newest homes on the market, super fast. so we could finally buy our first "big boi house." big boi house. big boi kitchen! big boi waterfall shower! big boi crawl space. big boi sold sign, big boi logo. realtor.com to each their home. [♪♪] if you have diabetes, big boi logo. it's important to have confidence in the nutritional drink you choose.

try boost glucose control®. it's clinically shown to help manage blood sugar levels and contains high quality protein to help manage hunger and support muscle health. try boost® today. when it comes to pain medicine, less is more. aleve gives long-lasting freedom from pain, with fewer pills than tylenol. instead of taking pills every 4-6 hours, aleve works up to 12-hours so you can focus on what matters. aleve. less pills. more relief ♪ everybody dance now ♪ ♪♪ ♪ everybody dance now ♪ get 5 boneless wings for $1. with any handcrafted burger. only at applebee's mm. [ clicks tongue ]

i don't know. i think they look good, man. mm, smooth. uh, they are a little tight. like, too tight? might just need to break 'em in a little bit. you don't want 'em too loose. for those who were born to ride there's progressive. with 24/7 roadside assistance. -okay. think i'm gonna wear these home. -excellent choice. inner voice (furniture maker): i'm constantly nodding... ...because i know everything about furniture ...but with the business side... ...i'm feeling a little lost. quickbooks can help. an easy way to get paid, pay your staff, and know where your business stands. new business? no problem. success starts with intuit quickbooks. 39 past the hour. we have dramatic video showing the moment a russian mortar hits a town near kyiv as civilians were trying to flee the area. i want to warn you that what you're about to see is very

disturbing. >> eyewitnesss say three people, including a child, were killed in this attack less than 20 miles from the center of kyiv. scenes like this prompted ukraine's president is to issue another call today for nato to impose a no-fly zone or provide ukraine with fighter jets and other air defense capabilities. with us now, retired lieutenant colonel alexander vindman. he is the author of "here, right matters." colonel, thank you for being with us this morning. so, the u.s. and nato, pretty much everybody in the west has rejected the idea of a no-fly zone. we just heard from alexander, in ukraine today, saying, please, have some form of a no-fly zone.

is that something that you think just won't happen because ukraine is not part of nato? >> -- actually, i don't think that's true. i think that's the position now. and it makes a lot of sense now, because, it's seemingly escalatory. but in reality, what we've seen is a pattern over the course of the past ten days is hard positions on the part of the u.s. about what they're willing and not willing to do. and that's because of the human toll, the human catastrophe this war is having on the ground. the u.s. population, the western population is really not tolerating this kind of abuse of the ukrainian population, peace-loving population that did nothing to provoke this war, and the population, and frankly, our european allies are in certain ways ahead of our political leadership here in the u.s., with regards to where they're prepared to go. the risks are probably not as high as we would think they are, because the russians really simply don't have an interest in

the confrontation with the u.s. but there are things that we could do before we get to a no-fly zone. and that term has baggage. there are different ways we could frame it, like a secure humanitarian corridor, just outside of kyiv, helping them move. we could do these things in a particular way that's de-escalatory and deconflicted. there's a channel now established for that. but we could provide the ukrainians with the means to publish their own no-fly zone. that's what i've been call for. that's the peace i wrote in foreign affairs on this land/lease idea. >> i was very interested in this article for foreign policy that you wrote over the weekend, calling for the u.s. and its allies to set up a land lease program, similar to the one provided, weapons and other assistance to u.s. allies in world war ii. how do you envision such a program working? >> it's amazing that we find ourselves in a world where

during the second world war, we were supporting the soviet union to fight off nazi. and now we have to conceive of a land lease program to help the ukrainians fight off fascist russia. so the way we would do this is just to make sure that we depot large quantities of supplies. these 17,000 missiles that are in there are not sufficient. those are going to be perishable, those will be expended relatively quickly. they should be positioned along the borders of our nato allies, so poland, slovakia, hungary, romania, with sufficient stockpiles to feed into ukraine, on demand. not, you know, taking hours or days or even weeks to get there, but on demand, pushed across into ukraine. and that's not just these missiles. we immediate to provide things that some of our allies have already chosen to do. like the turks are providing these tb-2s. the unmanned combat areal vehicles. those need to go in there western platforms to ukraine, so they could go after these things

that are imposing the biggest casualties on ukraine right now. these are the ballistic missiles. and the planes that are doing the air strikes. they could be targeted with these unmanned vehicles. >> so putin over the weekend, you know this, colonel, he said if any country participated in something like that, the russians would consider that country participating in the battle or the war in ukraine. >> that's -- his language was more specific than that. he was talking about a no-ply zone. but in the same breadth, frankly, i think it was either in that press conference or a separate one, he said that the economic sanctions that we levied to compose costs on this war were also a form of warfare. so according to him, we're ready and in a state of war. in reality, he's believed this for a long time, and that's why he's increasingly been provocative, not just this war against ukraine, but against it attacking our elections, assassination attempts, all of these things, because he believed that he was in a state

of war since at least 2011, if not before. he believes he can act to really achieve his political aims any way he wants, now including major invasions of allies. we shouldn't be intimidated by these things, because he is not suicidal. you can tell that by the way he keeps his closest inner circle 20 feet away so he doesn't get sick. this is a clear indication of how much he loves himself and how much he wants to avoid getting sick. and his military is involved in ukraine. he doesn't want to pit his military against nato. >> how do you see putin reacting and going forward when he is not seeing the success that he expected to have. and we're already in, you know, post-second week here. i'm fearing what he could decide to do, going forward, you know? chechnya and syria. >> you're exactly right. certainly, that's going to be devastating attacks on cities.

but what i fear from a strategic level, what i'm concerned about from a strategic level is incrementalism. where he slowly ratchets up the pressure on ukraine and on the west, doubling down, because that's his modus operandi. this is the way he's operated for a couple of days, seeing where the weaknesses are and pushing in those directions, and ultimately, pushing towards red lines, including cyber attacks on nato or something of that nature. that's why we need to provide everything we can to the ukrainians, so really they reformat his thinking. if the russian armed forces do not have the military means to on achieve their objectives. his military leadership says, we are out. we've expended our armored forces, we've spended all of our missiles and so forth. that's what forces them to negotiate in good faith. i mean, good faith is a stretch there. but that's what forces them to look for diplomatic off-ramps and probably come to the

bargaining table with less than maximalist demands for capitulation. the sooner we get there, the less the risk is. if this protracts over the course of weeks and months, there's a much better chance of nato being drawn in. that's why i've been so adamant that we need to get past our incrementalism, we feed to get past some of our hurdles with our political leadership and with their desire to, you know, just in time, our reactions to facs on the ground, we need to do more now. >> lieutenant colonel alexander vindman, thank you so much for being with us this morning. up next, we're live on the ground in latvia with an exclusive look inside the u.s. deployment to nato's eastern flank, where our troops are training alongside canadian and latvian troops. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." ing "jose diaz-balart reports.

people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up to what's possible... with rybelsus®. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. wake up to the possibility of lower a1c with rybelsus®. you may pay as little as $10 for up to a 3-month prescription. ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today.

with relapsing forms of ms... there's a lot to deal with. not just unpredictable relapses. all these other things too. it can all add up. kesimpta is a once-monthly at-home injection... that may help you put these rms challenges in their place. kesimpta was proven superior at reducing the rate of relapses, active lesions, and slowing disability progression vs aubagio. don't take kesimpta if you have hepatitis b, and tell your doctor if you have had it, as it could come back. kesimpta can cause serious side effects, including infections. while no cases of pml were reported in rms clinical trials, it could happen. tell your doctor if you had or plan to have vaccines, or if you are or plan to become pregnant. kesimpta may cause a decrease in some types of antibodies. the most common side effects are upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and injection reactions. ready for an at-home treatment with dramatic results? it's time to ask your doctor about kesimpta.

. 50 past the hour. nbc news has been granted an exclusive look where nato's response force has been deployed for the first time. u.s. services members are training beside latvian forces. josh, what more can you tell us about the u.s. presence there? >> well, jose, the u.s. and its nato allies regularly hold military exercises here in latvia. but they have taken on fresh relevancy and urgency. ukraine is only about 120 miles to the east of here. some of the u.s. service members from the 173rd airborne brigade that we spoke with today only showed up here about 11 days ago

after president biden deployed them to the baltic nations to try to shore up nato's defenses in light of this invasion. we got to watch as they were learning and practices certain skills as to how to repel across the river and call in air support from the ground and we saw some of the 20 apache helicopters that were moved into latvia. this is really what it means when we talk about article 5, when we talk about an attack on one is an attack on all. this is where the u.s., canada, poland, latvia, nations are coming together and learning how to communicate across languages and cultural barriers to act as one to defend all 30 nations in the nato alliance if president putin were to try to expand beyond ukraine and threaten any of the countries in the nato

alliance. jose? >> josh letterman, thank you. coming up, more than a million people have fled ukraine as the war rages. we'll talk to the u.n. ambassador to poland about that country's role in all this. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." e diaz-balart reports. it's time to say goodbye to appliance heartbreaks. and hello to new quality finds you'll love on wayfair. you can always get the brands you trust. the support you need. and dependability you can count on. plus, get financing up to 60 months on qualifying purchases. fast and free delivery. and installation and haul-away. so with wayfair, you'll always find your perfect match. ♪ wayfair you got just what i need ♪

the sleep number 360® smart bed is on sale now. why choose proven quality sleep from sleep number? because the sleep number 360® smart bed is really smart. it senses your movement and automatically adjusts to help keep you both comfortable all night. it's also temperature balancing, so you stay cool. it's so smart it knows exactly how long, how well and when you slept. sleep number takes care of the science. all you have to do is sleep. and now, save up to $600 on select sleep number 360® smart beds. plus, 0% interest for 36 months. only for a limited time. to learn more, go to sleepnumber.com. ♪ ♪ ♪a little bit of chicken fried♪ ♪cold beer on a friday night♪ ♪a pair of jeans that fit just right♪ ♪and the radio up well i've seen the sunrise...♪ get 5 boneless wings for $1 with any handcrafted burger. only at applebee's

age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. versus 16 grams in ensure high protein. boost® high protein also has key nutrients for immune support. boost® high protein. behold...unlimited wireless for only 30 bucks. that's pretty cool, but you know what's cooler? boost® high protein also has key nutrients saving up to 400 bucks! exactly. and if we really want to take it up a notch... get all that and nationwide 5g included. oh nice shot, send that to me. i got you. break free from the big three and get connected to the nations most reliable 5g network. get the new samsung galaxy s22 series on xfinity mobile. and right now, save big with up to $750 off a new samsung device. switch today. at xfinity, we live and work in the same neighborhood as you. we're always working to keep you connected to what you love. and now, we're working to bring you the next generation of wifi. it's ultra-fast. faster than a gig. supersonic wifi. only from xfinity.

it can power hundreds of devices with three times the bandwidth. so your growing wifi needs will be met. supersonic wifi only from us... xfinity. and it's easy to get a quote at libertymutual.com so you only pay for what you need. isn't that right limu? limu? sorry, one sec. doug blows a whistle. [a vulture squawks.] oh boy. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty♪ 56 past the hour. russia's invasion of ukraine is creating the largest humanitarian crisis europe has seen in decades with the

majority of refugees going to poland. joining us, the former u.s. ambassador to poland, currently the vice provost. what resources can the u.s. provide to help with this refugee crisis there? >> good morning, jose. it's true that the polish government has been absolutely extraordinary in extending a hand in friendship and help to now just about a million ukrainians alone who have been in poland. i know secretary blinken was just in poland over the weekend. he is in very close consultation, along with our embassy there the ambassador to assess what exactly the needs the polish government's needs are in meeting this enormous humanitarian crisis on its border. i can -- i do know that the congress is working hard to

prepare some significant assistance that could go to poland to help them in this regard. but the poles aren't waiting around to help. they've already guaranteed every single ukrainian refugee a right to work in poland, to get state-provided health care. they are providing polish citizens a stipend to help support hosting ukrainian strangers in their homes. i heard from one of my best friends over the weekend who is taking into his apartment three ukrainians and their cat. that's happening all across poland. >> it's so extraordinary to see how they are just coming out and helping those. they certainly remember 1st of september 1939. poland remembers its history. i'm just wondering, ambassador, you know, there's a million, it could be 2 million, it could be 3 million. who knows how many people will be forced to leave ukraine during this invasion. is there something that the

world could or should be doing to help these people? >> well, i know the u.n. high commissioner for refugees is already on the ground in poland directing u.n. operations and that's as it should be. the u.n. high commissioner will set in place an infrastructure to start processing all of these refugees so that poland and the other bordering states like slovakia and hungary and romania don't have to bear the brunt alone. i expect there will be an appeal, including to us in america, to reach out to an invitation to help the ukrainians elsewhere. and so i think there's a lot of goodwill, a lot of readiness to help. >> ambassador, thank you very much for being with us this morning. so appreciate your time. >> you're welcome.

>> that wraps up the hour for me. i'm jose diaz-balart. you can reach me on twitter and instagram. thank you for the privilege of your time. yasmin vossoughian picks up with more news right now. good monday morning, everybody. i'm yasmin vossoughian in for craig melvin. the situation in eastern europe is changing by the second. russian forces on kyiv's doorstep and desperate civilians taking cover across the country's major cities. a person who fled the besieged city saying there are no