Leave Ukraine alone…or else

President Biden informed Russian President Vladimir Putin today that the West is worried that Russia—which has massed troops near its border with Ukraine—will invade the former Soviet republic. He warned of "strong economic and other measures" as punishment should Moscow choose to go down that road. The two leaders held two hours of virtual talks this morning on Ukraine, as well as other disputes, in a video call about U.S.-Russian relations, which have sunk to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

• — Biden voiced the "deep concerns of the United States and our European allies about Russia's escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine," the White House said, and made clear that the U.S. and its allies would respond in kind in the event of further military escalation. Biden reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the White House said, and called for de-escalation and diplomacy.
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• — Washington has accused Russia of trying to intimidate the aspiring NATO member. It wouldn't be without precedent. In 2014, Moscow seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine. For the Kremlin, the growing NATO embrace of Ukraine—and the possibility of alliance missiles there targeting Russia—is a "red line" it will not allow to be crossed.
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• — Leaders from the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, and Italy held a call following the Biden-Putin talks. The same allies spoke yesterday and agreed to "stay in close touch on a coordinated and comprehensive approach in response to Russia's military build-up on Ukraine's borders," the White House said. The allies agreed again today to remain "vigilant" regarding Russia's potential "aggressive initiatives." —Reuters

'We will cheer them on from home'

Uyghur rights organizations are applauding the U.S. government's decision to boycott the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. White House Press Sec. Jen Psaki said yesterday that the diplomatic boycott was prompted by the Chinese government's "ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses," referring to the region in southwest China with a large population of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. While the U.S. will not send any diplomatic or official representatives to the Olympics, the boycott will not affect American athletes. "The athletes on Team USA have our full support," said Psaki. —NPR

MORE: China attacks 'U.S.-style democracy' prior to Biden summit —The Guardian

Stockman: The Summit for Democracy is about more than just democracy

"At this week's summit, there will be plenty of familiar-sounding pledges to root out corruption and defend human rights. … But at its core, this conference is not just about protecting democracy at home and abroad. It's also about how open societies will defend themselves in the future against existential technological threats. As countries like China and Russia invest heavily in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and exercise intensive state control over data, the U.S. and its allies need a game plan. … How do we make sure those technologies aren't weaponized against us?" —Farah Stockman in The New York Times

Farah Stockman is a member of the New York Times editorial board and a reporter covering politics, social movements, and race.

MORE: What to expect from Biden's global democracy summit —The Hill

DOJ vs. Texas

The U.S. Justice Department is suing the state of Texas over its new redistricting maps, saying the plans discriminate against minority voters. The lawsuit, filed yesterday, claims the Republican-controlled state violated part of the Voting Rights Act in drawing new district boundaries for its congressional delegation and state legislature. Noting that most of Texas' population growth over the past decade came from Black, Latino, and Asian people, the lawsuit alleges the new maps scatter these voters across districts, diluting their votes and denying them opportunities to choose their representatives. It is illegal for mapmakers to discriminate on the basis of race when drawing legislative lines. Stay tuned. —Associated Press

MORE: What is 'vote dilution'? —Newsweek

Goldberg: Is there any hope for the party of Lincoln?

"Criticism of the Republican Party does not suggest an axiomatic endorsement of the Democratic Party, its leaders, and policies. Substantive, even caustic, critiques can of course be made up and down the Democratic line. But avoiding partisan entanglement does not mean that we must turn away from the obvious. The leaders of the Republican Party—the soul-blighted Donald Trump and the satraps and lackeys who abet his nefarious behavior—are attempting to destroy the foundations of American democracy. This must be stated clearly, and repeatedly." —Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic

Jeffrey Goldberg is the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. 

MORE: Peter Meijer voted to impeach. Can he survive in the GOP? —The Atlantic

Focus on the insurrection

Welp, that didn't last long. Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows will no longer cooperate with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Meadows' attorney, George Terwilliger, told Fox News that Meadows believed he would not have to answer questions that he claims are protected by executive privilege. However, the panel had no such boundaries. "As a result of careful and deliberate consideration of these factors, we now must decline the opportunity to appear voluntarily for a deposition," Terwilliger wrote in a letter to the committee. —Axios

• — "Absolute and unmitigated liars."  A former D.C. National Guard official is accusing two senior Army leaders—Gen. Charles Flynn, who served as deputy chief of staff for operations on Jan. 6, and Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt, the director of Army staff—of lying to Congress and attempting to rewrite the history of the military's response to the Capitol riot. In a 36-page memo to the committee, Col. Earl Matthews slams the Pentagon's inspector general for what he calls an error-riddled report that protects a top Army official who argued against sending the National Guard to the Capitol on Jan. 6, delaying the insurrection response for hours. —Politico
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• — "Much work still needs to be addressed." Another watchdog, U.S. Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton, testified before the Senate Rules Committee today. He said the agency has not done enough to improve its activities in the wake of the insurrection, as it "lacks the infrastructure for training, the intelligence-gathering and expertise that's needed to prevent future attacks, and an overall cultural change." Around 200 officers have left the force since the Capitol riot. —NBC News
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• — "The 1887 Electoral Count Act is directly at issue." Some members of the House select committee are pushing to overhaul the Electoral Count Act, arguing that the ambiguity of the statute puts democracy at risk. "We know that we came precariously close to a constitutional crisis, because of the confusion in many people's minds that was obviously planted by the former president as to what the Congress' role [on Jan. 6] actually was," said Zach Wamp, a former Republican congressman and co-chair of a bipartisan group pressing for election reform. Rep. Liz Cheney said last week that the panel will recommend changes to the law. —The Seattle Times

Dole: America needs unity to rediscover our best selves

"When we prioritize principles over party and humanity over personal legacy, we accomplish far more as a nation. By leading with a shared faith in each other, we become America at its best: a beacon of hope, a source of comfort in crisis, a shield against those who threaten freedom. Our nation's recent political challenges remind us that our standing as the leader of the free world is not simply destiny. It is a deliberate choice that every generation must make and work toward. We cannot do it divided." —Bob Dole in The Washington Post

Bob Dole represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate for 27 years—11 of those years as the Republican Senate leader—and was the Republican nominee for president in 1996. Dole passed away on Sunday at the age of 98. He wrote this essay earlier this year, to be published upon his death.

MORE: Bipartisan tributes flood in for 'giant of the Senate' Bob Dole —Axios

I totally agree with Lynn Schmidt. We all need to leave our current tribes in the name of national unity. We also need a new home to go to. It is time for those at Topline to lead the way in the formation of a new, patriotic political party. —Paul G., Idaho

With the passing of Bob Dole, we should remember the declaration he made in San Diego when he accepted the Republican nomination in 1996. He repeated the declaration almost verbatim during his second televised debate with Bill Clinton in October of that year: 

"The exits are clearly marked if you think the Republican Party is someplace for you to come if you're narrow-minded or bigoted or don't like certain people in America. The exits are clearly marked for you to walk off, as I stand here without compromise, because this is the party of Lincoln."

Sounds pre-historic, doesn't it? They are words that today seem unrecognizable, expressing sentiments that might prove unrecoverable. They could well represent a species of declaration we never again hear at a Republican convention. 

While Americans remember the good and decent Bob Dole, they should be asking themselves: what in the name of civility and morality has happened to the Republican Party? Or better yet, what in Abraham Lincoln's name has happened to it?  

The clear-eyed and honest know: the exits of the Republican Party no longer feature any markings at all. Conversely, its entrances now conspicuously beckon the bigoted; its doors are wide open to the narrow-minded. The party of the gallant and virtuous Bob Dole has become the fiefdom of a twice-impeached former president; it is a party that grovels to a disgraced and relentlessly disgraceful man. 

In honor of the late senator from Kansas, let's pose a good question and posit an apt dream with the answer. 

Given the muckward spiral of the Republican Party, what would a young Bob Dole do if he were just now beginning his political career? Reason says he would regard the GOP as beyond redemption; he would see the need for a new home to be built on the American political landscape—and he would identify the makings of that home in a number of new movements that reflect the principles for which he unbendingly stood.  

Start with the Stand Up Republic Foundation, a determined and growing voice for the preservation of American democracy and the organization responsible for the email you are now reading. Move on to the Renew America Movement, a coalition of actors from across the ideological spectrum who share the common goal of beating back the fire of nascent autocracy in their beloved country. Add in the Lincoln Project, comprised of never-Trump Republicans who have proven they know how to address the American heart and equally how to unmask the enemies of that heart. And don't forget the military veterans behind VoteVets, the political action committee that has regularly expressed revulsion at the reactionary psychosis overtaking America.  

These groups are united on a fundamental level. They uniformly stand for the preservation of the constitution that is the single greatest document ever written to guide the conduct of a free society. Accordingly they loathe the nauseating spectacle of a wannabe Mussolini strutting openly on the stage of American life; they stand determined to prevent fascism from extinguishing the light and promise of America. 

Let's dream a little more and imagine these groups along with others like them coalescing, and even merging. They hold a grand convention that commands the attention of the American people. The convention's objective is twofold: to identify America's most urgent need in the 21st century, and to meet that need.  

It is not difficult at all to imagine such a coming watershed in American history. In fact, this fearless prediction is warranted: the convention of the coalesced groups will form a political party to contest every state in the union in the 2024 presidential election. Countless people who regard themselves as traditional Republicans will abandon their old home. A person much like Bob Dole in character and outlook and passionate love of country will be the new party's candidate for the White House. Vitally, the new party will not allow itself to be regarded as a third party, but rather as the inevitable replacement for the sick and worthy-of-extinction GOP. —Michael Carin

Ed. Note: Michael Carin has authored seven books, including "Guilty Men: They Made Trump."

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.