Ali Velshi sits in for Joy Reid for this episode of The ReidOut, and we begin with the first round of so- called "peace talks" concluded Monday morning at Ukraine’s border with Belarus. While President Zelensky sent high-level officials to negotiate in good faith, the Russian delegation was led by Vladimir Putin’s "adviser on culture,” a choice junior enough that may indicate he has little interest in ending the siege. Inna Sovsun, MP of the Ukrainian Parliament, joins us live from Ukraine to discuss her learning to use a gun to defend her country and more. Next we turn to the Western world's financial grip on Russia continuing to tighten. The United States and the EU imposed new measures effectively cutting Russia off from its sizable war chest set aside for this very situation. The move blocks all people in the United States and the EU from trading with Russia's Central Bank. Then, on Tuesday President Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address. It comes amid crises both domestic and global, including the war in Ukraine, economic uncertainty here at home, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Finally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to remain in his country's besieged capital has catapulted him into a global hero and cultural icon. MSNBC's Malcolm Nance joins us to discuss. All this and more in this edition of The ReidOut on MSNBC.
U.S. and EU effectively cut off Russia from its war chest