BALLISTIC MISSILE THAT HEIGHTEN
TENSIONS BETWEEN MOSCOW AND THE
WEST BETWEEN A SERIES OF
EXPULSIONS.
RETIRED ARMY COLONEL GENERAL
DAVID -- DEFENSE PRIORITIES.
BUT START HERE.
I WANT TO ASK YOU, BUT PRESIDENT
PUTIN DARE PUSH THE NUCLEAR
BUTTON?
IF YOU THINK HE WOULDN'T, WHAT
IS THE ENDGAME?
>> HE ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT
BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE SECOND HE
DOES THAT, THAT IS THE
DESTRUCTION OF MOSCOW COME IN
THE OF HIS REGIME.
HE IS TRYING TO SHOW HIS
STRENGTH.
HE WANTS TO PROJECT AN IMAGE OF
POWER.
HE WANTS TO MAKE PEOPLE
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BELIEVED
THAT IT IS AN EQUAL BALANCE
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
RUSSIA.
IF YOU WANT TO SHOW UP IN THE
UNITED STATES HAS THEIR NEW
NUCLEAR WEAPONS THEY TALKED
ABOUT IN OCTOBER AND AGAIN IN
FEBRUARY, THE FACT IS HE IS NOT.
THEY HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND WE
HAVE TO RESPECT THAT BECAUSE
THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
SECRETARY MATUS CONCEDED AT THE
TIME THAT THEY COULD DO SEVERE
DAMAGE TO THE UNITED STATES.
IN EVERY OTHER ASPECT WITH
CONVENTIONAL MILITARY, ECONOMY,
ABILITY TO PROJECT POWER, THEY
DON'T COMPETE WITH US IN THAT
REGARD.
PUTIN DOESN'T WANT PEOPLE TO
KNOW THAT.
HE WANTS PEOPLE TO THINK HE'S ON
PAR WITH THIS AND IT'S NOT.
ERIC: U.S. PRESIDENT PUTIN
ANGLES TO GATHER MORE POWER,
WHERE IS THERE AN OPENING FOR
HIM AND IS THE U.S. MISSING MANY
OPPORTUNITIES TO BLOCK MOVES TO
EXPAND MR. PUTIN'S POWER?
>> YOU KNOW, WHAT HE WANTS TO DO
IS PLAY TO THE CAMERAS.
HE THINKS THAT HE CAN PLAY THE
PERCEPTION GAME AND MAKE PEOPLE
BELIEVE HE HAS MORE POWER AND
INFLUENCE THAN HE DOES COMMAND I
CAN GIVE HIM MORE INFLUENCE
INTERNATIONALLY.
THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR US TO CALL FOR WHAT IT IS
INTO ANY TIME THAT HE TAKES ANY
ACTION AT ALL, THAT IMPINGES ON
AMERICAN PROSPERITY OR SECURITY,
WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO RESPOND
AS PRESIDENT TRUMP GESTATED THE
EXPULSION OF 60 DIPLOMATS THERE.
HE HAS MANY LOVERS HE COULD PULL
TO DO THAT.
AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S IMPORTANT
TO RECOGNIZE IT'S IN OUR
INTEREST TO HAVE STABLE
RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA.
WE DON'T WANT TO GO TOO FAR
BECAUSE THAT HURTS US.
TRADING FOR GILLIAN TURNER HAD A
RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT SAYING WE NEED
CLOSE INTERACTION.
BUT IF MR. PUTIN, PRESIDENT
PUTIN IS TRYING TO PLAY FOR THE
CAMERAS, HE CANNOT BE PRESIDENT
TRUMP ON THAT FRONT AT ALL.
>> I AGREE WITH YOU.
ERIC: MEANWHILE, THERE IS NORTH
KOREA.
IT'S LIKE THE U.S. IS FIGHTING
ONE OF THOSE TWO HEADED MONSTERS
FROM THE KING KONG MOVIES.
YOU'VE GOT NORTH KOREA AND
RUSSIA APPEARED BETWEEN THE TWO,
WHICH IS THE BIGGER THREAT?
>> THERE IS NO QUESTION RUSSIA
BECAUSE OF ITS NUCLEAR ARSENAL
IS CERTAINLY THE BIGGEST
POTENTIAL THREAT.
I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT OUR
NUCLEAR DETERRENT IN
CONVENTIONAL MILITARY DETERRENT
TO NEUTRALIZE BOTH OF THEM AND
ARE MARKEDLY NEUTRALIZED NORTH
KOREA WITH WHATEVER THEY HAVE.
THEY CAN INFLICT HARM ON US, BUT
WE CAN ANNIHILATE THEIR COUNTRY
AND THEY KNOW THAT.
KIM IS ALSO TRYING TO TAKE A
PAGE FROM THE PUTIN PLAYBOOK AND
PLAYING TO THE CAMERAS AS WELL
BY GOING TO VISIT CHINA.
HE'S GOING TO BE TALKING TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
SO HE'S DOING THE SAME THING.
THE FACT IS HE DOES NOT HAVE A
FRACTION OF THE POWER WE DO.
ERIC: WHAT IS THE UNITED STATES
POWER PLAY AGAINST EACH?
>> UNITED STATES PLACE TO
DEMONSTRATE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE
