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CONTINUING COVERAGE OF CRISIS IN
UKRAINE.
I'M JAKE TAPPER.
WHAT IF A FULL WAR ERUPTED
BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE?
WOULD THE NATION ROUGHLY THE
SIZE OF TEXAS STAND A FIGHTING
CHANCE AGAINST RUSSIA'S
MILITARY?
TOM FORMAN JOINS ME NOW.
TOM?
>> AS A SIMPLE ANSWER, NO THEY
CAN'T.
WE'RE TALKING SANCTION OF THIS.
THIS IS ALL THE BORDER THAT
RUSSIA SHARES WITH UKRAINE.
IT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
SPACE FROM WHICH RUSSIA COULD
COME IN ANY WAY IT WANTED TO IF
IT WANTED TO TRY SUCH A THING.
SO FAR WE HAVE DOWN HERE T
CRIMEA WHICH BASICALLY HAS BEEN
TAKEN DOWN HERE.
>>> THE REST IS UP FOR GRABS.
WHAT IF UKRAINE SAID WE'RE GOING
TO STAND UP TO RUSSIANS?
LOOK AT COMPARISONS.
TROOP, 160 UKRAINE, MORE THAN
766,000 IN RUSSIA IN ACTIVE
DUTY.
THESE TROOPS ARE BETTER OFF IN
TERMS OF TRAINING, PREPARATION.
WHAT ABOUT RESERVES?
A MILLION IN UKRAINE.
TO GET THIS TO THIS NUMBER, YOU
HAVE TO TAKE ALMOST ALL UNDER
THE AGE OF 40, ANYONE YOU CAN
GRAB.
IN RUSSIA, ALMOST 2.5 MILLION.
THIS IS A BETTER POOL WITH
PEOPLE BETTER PREPARED.
WHAT ABOUT WEAPONS?
LOOK AT AIRCRAFT, 400 IN THE
UKRAINE, NOT STATE OF THE ART OR
THE BEST.
IN RUSSIA MORE THAN 4,000.
TANKS, 4,000 UKRAINE, NOT THE
BEST OUT THERE.
IN RUSSIA YOU GO OVER 15,000.
IF YOU LOOK AT OVERALL
EXPENDITURES OF IT, IN THE
UKRAINE GOING TO HAVE A SMALL
NUMBER COMPARED TO WHAT YOU'RE
GOING TO GET ON THE RUSSIAN
SIDE.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET LESS THAN A
FEW BILLION.
CLOSE TO 70 OR 80 BILLION OVER
HERE PER YEAR SPENT TO SUPPORT
THE MILITARY.
ONE THING TO BEAR IN MIND THAT'S
WORTH WHILE.
IF YOU LOOK AT OVERALL SITUATION
IN THIS COUNTRY.
THIS AREA WE'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT SO MUCH.
AS THE GENERAL POINTED OUT, THEY
DON'T NEED TO GO INTO THE AREA.
IT'S HEAVILY RUSSIAN ANY WAY.
IT'S A PROBLEM FOR WESTERN
UKRAINE.
RUSSIANS DON'T HAVE TO GO IN.
IF THEY DID, THIS IS OPEN LAND
OVER HERE.
ALL FORESTED OVER HERE.
HERE IT'S MUCH MORE OPEN WITH
FARM FIELDS, BIG WIDE OPEN
SPACES, PERFECT FOR AIR ASSAULT,
TROOPS MOVING IN.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MILITARY
OPTION, THERE'S NO OPTION HERE.
RUSSIANS WOULD ABSOLUTELY RULE