The Ukraine crisis shows no signs of waning; the United  States has rejected Russia’s demand to bar Ukraine from NATO but diplomatic initiatives continue. Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine,  France and Germany have reaffirmed commitment to the long-standing ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin is eyeing the long game and wants to be a player in the systemic rivalry between China and the United States, says Velina Tchakarova, director of the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy. And by doing  so, Putin seeks to erase European powers from the equation, Velina told  StratNews Global. Asked about the relevance of NATO in the current  geopolitical order, she replied in the affirmative, adding that the Cold  War-era alliance needs to demonstrate hard power. Listen in for more.

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