Nick Schifrin:

But, today, as it did 70 years ago, NATO is taking steps opposed by what is now Russia.

And nowhere is that more obvious than Ukraine, now five years into a war between the Ukrainian military and Russia-backed separatists. Late last year, Russian ships rammed Ukrainian ships in waters both navies are legally allowed to use.

And, today, NATO announced major steps to support Ukraine, including stepped-up presence of NATO ships, surveillance of the Russian navy, and training of Ukrainian troops. That is in addition to $250 million of assistance in the U.S. defense budget, including radar systems, refurbished Coast Guard cutters, and tactical vehicles.

And to talk about this, I'm joined by Kurt Volker, former ambassador to NATO and now the special representative for Ukraine.

Welcome to the "NewsHour." Thank you so much.