now it is vladimir putin s time for choosing. invade ukraine or back down. plus, a cnn exclusive. senator mitch mcconnell prefers he and donald trump just ignore each other, but a new interview highlights a likely mcconnell/trump midterm crash. the republican leader says it s critical gop candidates avoid trump s big lie. and spiking crime is an every city challenge. the new york mayor vows to lead the fight and his plan relies on reviving a controversial police unit. we begin with the ukraine standoff. the white house holds two classified briefings to brief lawmakers and bring them up to speed on the security situation in ukraine. president biden says he is now ready to send 8500 more american troops to eastern europe. nato has put more assets in the region. the intent? to add military muscle to the diplomatic pressure and get vladimir putin to back down from a potential ukraine invasion. whether the russian leader takes that off ramp, though, is an open question. this morning,