. >>> for more we're joined by katherine stoner, deputy director and senior research scholar at the center of democracy at stanford university. we're also joined by yorg forbrig, german marshall fund of the united states. he joins us from berlin. and david road, a contributor, he it is good to have you all with us. david, ukraine says 30,000 troops are now in crimea. 43 international observers were turned away not allowed to get into crimea. we saw the truck at a went into the air base that controls the air space in that area and we saw earlier this week how a un envoy was sent away. is putin escalating rather than deescalating? >> i think the issue here is putin is escalating but in his mind he is not escalating. the two minds seem to be talking past each other. putin believes the uprising in kiev was a western backed situation and not the will of the people and it is his opinion it's to block the warm water are port. so far, the steps of the white house are not resolving the crisis and it's unclear what comes next. >> i know you quote katherine stoner as saying much of what putin says is

. >>> katherine stoner, a a deputy director and senior research scholar at the center on democracy at stanford university. she joins us from there tonight. she is an author and expert on the domestic and international politics. we are joined by yorg forbreg. he joins us from berlin. here in new york, we have david roe, an investigative reporter, contributor to the atlantic. his latest piece: crain is the greatest challenge to geo politics since the cold war. david, ukraine says 30,000 troops are now in crimean, 43 international observers were not allowed to get into crimean. we saw today the truck that witness into this air base that controls the air space in that area and we saw earlier this week how a u.n. envoy was sent away. is putin escalating rather than deescalating? >> i think the issue here is putin is escalating, but in his mind, he's not escalating. the danger here is that the two sides seem to talk past each other. i don't know for sure, but it seems like vladimir putin beliefs it was some western sponsored intelligence operation not a legitimate expression of the will of