we are live in kyiv this morning. a post party hangover. boris johnson, fighting for political survival. we'll take you to downing street. plus, israel says a fourth covid vaccine dose offers better protection. the country's new booster recommendations. >> announcer: live from london, this is "cnn newsroom" with isa soares. welcome to the show, everyone. it is wednesday, january 26th. world leaders are pushing the tariffs and diplomacy of the tension on ukraine's border. they're preparing for a possible russian invasion. the white house says the threat is imminent though acknowledges russian president vladimir putin knows what he will ultimately do. president joe biden says he's made it clear there will be severe consequences if russia takes military action. have a listen. >> would you ever see yourself personally sanctioning him if he did invade ukraine? >> yes. >> you would? >> i would see that. there would be enormous consequences if he were to go in and invade the entire country or a lot less than that as well. for russia not only in terms of economic consequences and political consequences but enormous consequences worldwide. if he were to move in with all of those forces, this would be the largest invasion since world war ii. it would change the world. >> president biden's comments, there are more than 100,000 troops. more assistance has arrived outside of kyiv. the weapons will end up in the arms of militants and terrorists. ukraine's foreign minister had this message for russia. >> we will not be in the position of a country that speaks on the phone, hears the instruction of the big power and follows it. no. we paid a lot, including 15,000 lives of our citizens to secure the right to decide our own future, our own destiny and we will not allow anyone to impose any concessions on us. >> the state department meanwhile says the u.s. has not seen any concrete signs of deescalation by russia and issued a warning to belarus where russian troops have been arriving for what is said to be drills. >> just as we've been clear with the russian federation about the severe cost that is would befall them were this to move forward, in recent days we've also made clear to belarus that if it allows its territory to be used for an attack on ukraine, it would face a swift and decisive response from the united states and our allies and partners. >> meantime, moscow has accused u.s. and nato of escalating tensions even as they continue their buildup at the ukrainian border. >> what we have seen is a range of preparations including 100,000 troops at the border, belacose rhetoric and false flag operations to try to spread misinformation throughout the region and even the world setting up the predicate for an invasion. so while of course our preferred path is diplomacy, we can't predict where the mind of president putin is, we've seen aggressive actions increasing at the border. >> mean time, in europe they are stopping the unfolding crisis ahead of a meeting today between representatives of germany, france, russia and ukraine. this comes as the eu's chief diplomat is facing, quote, the most dangerous moment since the cold war. cnn correspondents are tracking all the developments as this crisis unfolds. we're joined from paris. you can see that. sam kiley from kyiv. we've been hearing from the president who is trying to assure ukrainians. has it eased their concerns? >> reporter: the really striking thing i have to say about ukrainians at the moment, isa, is they are worried but they are not panicking and that has been the message how they should continue to behave coming from their president, zelensky. he has been speaking of broadcasting using facebook following the decisions by the united states, united kingdom, australia, canada, germany to withdraw diplomats and ship some of the diplomatic families out of the ukrainian capitol of kyiv in preparation for or protect them from a possible, not a certain but a possible russian invasion. the ukrainians saying they don't see evidence of an immediately imminent russian invasion. they are worried about an invasion in the future. they are hoping some kind of diplomatic breakthrough. they are very anxious, indeed, as we heard in that interview with clarissa about schisms or differences of opinion or attitude emerging from the europeans. there has always been a different effort made. we're going to see a lot more diplomatic efforts made in europe in meetings that may change the tone or give opportunities to vladimir putin to exploit differences in approach if not in terms of actual principle among nato partners and other european allies. that is opportunity for putin that the ukrainians don't really want to see taken. >> stay with us. let me go to melissa. what sam said. explain to us those differences, those patterns sam was talking about. where does europe stand on the issue of sanctions. is europe trying to diffuse tensions another way? >> reporter: europe has agreed on a series of sanctions. it hasn't published what it intends to do. that was the point of the foreign minister's meeting in brussels on monday. they have been working behind the scenes on their own set of sanctions even if there is consensus on how far they should go in cutting off russia from the financial system. we don't know the details of this. the idea is they will be applied should that invasion of ukraine take place, but there is a lot of focus of course from europe, on the point, in the hope of negotiations. hence, that normandy formats. it was the talks between russia, ukraine, germ na any, france that allowed for the minsk agre agreement. that process halted by frequent breaches of the cease-fire in the dombas region. bear in mind, these are just diplomat-level talks. what we heard from emmanuel macron, they hope they move to leader like discussion. an important step would be hearing from a spokes-mile-an-hour for the ukrainian's president's office saying it is good they're happening, key to get back to the negotiating table to talk about the freak breaches of the cease-fire in eastern ukraine. reminding the world there will be no direct talks at all and at any point. so if we look ahead to those important talks to see what emerges, we should be hearing from both the ukrainian and russian delegations later today. the hope from europeans very much that talks can have some effect rather than sanctions being needed at any point, isa. >> indeed. thank you. coming up in about 20 minutes or so, my interview with ukraine's ambassador to the u.k. what he says president biden and the west need to do in case of a russian invasion. the u.s. energy department announced the release of 30 million barrels of petroleum oil. president biden announced a plan to release up to 50 billion barrels and to ease the lack of oil supplies globally. most oil prices fell at that announcement but have returned. there is help coming to americans to pay their home heating bills. the government is adding $100 million to assist a program which helps families heat or cool their homes. it's the first installment of $500 million contained in an infrastructure package that was passed last year. experts say it's ab unprecedented level of funding. it will fall short of meeting all the needs. it was another volatile day on wall street you can see there. this time stocks ended in the red. the dow swung more than 1,000 points before ending down much. the nasdaq was the one that was sharp down more than 2%. 2.2%. u.s. futures are higher as investors wait for the federal reserve policy decisions on inflation. futures looking at least slightly brighter from what we saw at the close on the street on tuesday. the coming hours could be make or break for british prime minister boris johnson and his battle to stay in power. we are waiting the results from an investigation into whether 10 downing street violated covid restrictions by throwing parties while the rest of the country was under strict lockdown. the prime minister's office is prepared for the report to be released today. it is not clear if the inquiry by the london metropolitan police could force a delay. what is clear is bore ritz johnson is fighting for his political life. >> i welcome the met's decision to conduct its own investigation because i believe this will help the public get the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters. >> let's bring in cnn's selma azeez. this is quite a couple of days for the prime minister. the question is, will he have unanimous support of his party following the investigation. >> reporter: absolutely. a flurry of activity at 10 downing street. we understand they have yet to see that report from sue gray. we expect that will be handed over to the prime minister and his staff. they will work to release it as quickly as possible. we understand, of course, there's also questions about how it will be released or will it be the report in full? unless there are specific reasons to redact it, it will be published in full form. we now have two investigations taking place as you mentioned, isa. both of these working in some ways in conjunction with each other. over the course of the last few weeks sue gray, that senior civil ser vablt, has been looking into these allegations of partying, partying across multiple lockdowns, all taking place right here at 10 downing street. the gray report and her staff worked throughout their investigation and were in touch with the metropolitan police. we understand from the police they believe a number of the events, not all events, when i say parties, i'm talking about nearly a dozen parties if not more we're talking about across two years. some of those events now have reached that threshold that investigators need to see if there was eye break of rules. police were on the streets issuing fines. fines as high as 10,000 pounds. so potentially, potentially if there is found to be a breach of could heville rules downing 12r50e89 staff could be fined and himself. what happens with that information comes down to his party, the conservative party, whether or not they decide to keep prime minister boris johnson, to continue to support him or if this information f this is simply what tips the scale and they push him out. isa? >> we shall wait for that sue gray report. i know you'll stay on top of it. keep us posted. selma abdel azeez outside 10 downing street. thanks, selma. turning to a cnn exclusive. federal prosecutors are reviewing electoral college certificates from states that trump lost. they were signed by trump supporters who claimed to be the rightful elect tors in georgia, arizona and five other states. here's what the deputy told cnn. >> we are going to follow the facts and the law wherever they lead to discuss conduct at any level. >> reporter: nearly think -- this helped convict one defendant sentenced to two years probation. another shows an active duty marine right here in the white sweatshirt helping rioters into the building. he has pleaded not guilty to several charges including assaulting a police officer. still to come right here on "cnn newsroom," israel may offer a fourth covid vaccine dose to all adults. will this help battle the omicron variant? we are live in jerusalem yet. yet another weekend of intense winter weather and then this -- >> and a potential blockbuster storm system around portions of the northeast. some models bringing in a blockbuster of a storm. others less impressive. how much snowfall could occur around portions of the northeast coming up in a few minutes. do you have a life insurance policy you no longer need? now you can sell your policy - even a term policy - for an immediate cash payment. we thought we had planned carefully for our retirement. but we quickly realized we needed a way to supplement our income. if you have $100,000 or more of life insurance, you may qualify to sell your policy. don't cancel or let your policy lapse 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intensity, others joy. all are of... various: ahhh... listerine. feel the whoa! in the coming hours we may get details about a new universal coronavirus vaccine. right now almost every new case in the u.s. is being caused by the omicron variant. a new cdc study shows the disease is less severe in patients than it was during delta or the first winter surge. meantime, there's been an alarming rise in pediatric covid cases in the united states. the american academy of pediatrics says weekly infections topped 1 million for the first time last week. meantime, israel's covid panel is recommending a fourth covid vaccine dose. those 60 and at high risk are eligible. how is the news of the recommendation of a fourth dose being received where you are? >> reporter: well, so far people were almost expecting this to come out. israel had been giving out a fourth dose to people over 60, immunocompromised and it started with the at risk and went down to the rest of the population. the covid advisory group is officially recommending anyone over the age of 18 and five months have passed, get a fourth dose. they've been studying the numbers. among the 400,000 people who received the fourth doses they found three times the level of protection against serious illness and two times the level of protection against infection. to be clear, this is not yet going to take place. it's not clear whether the health ministry is issuing the fourth dose of the vaccine. so far through the pandemic they have been taking the advisory panel's recommendation. we'll have to wait and see whether the health ministry will do this. this is in contradiction from one of the top hospitals in central israel. sheba medical center began administering a fourth dose to around 300 of their health care workers. after a few weeks while their antibody levels went up a significant amount, the fourth dose didn't necessarily provide enough protection against the omicron variant. when they issued their preliminary results, they said we don't see a need to give a fourth dose to the rest of the population. the sheba medical center released a statement from one of their infectious disease specialists and said that the added value for the fourth dose is currently unknown and not substantial. it's really important this next statement they're saying. boosters versus the rest of the world. some people haven't received their first or second doses. saying the global community should focus on prioritizing and giving vaccines to third world countries where the coverage levels are low. thanks very much for that. elton john's concerts in texas are on hold. he tested positive for covid-19. the concert venue said his farewell yellow brick road tour would not run tuesday or wednesday. tickets are still good for the new date which should be announced soon. the venue says elton john is vaccinated and boosted and only has mild symptoms. it is unclear whether the tour will make stops in arkansas and oklahoma this month. canceled flights and roads at a stand still. that's what some travelers from greece and turkey are dealing with. thousands of drivers were caught on the road to istanbul. flights were suspended for a second day due to the winter weather. meantime, have a look at this. athens, greece, was crippled by the storm with power outages affecting the city. residents are frustrated with how ill prepared the country was to deal with this. storm known as a bomb cyclone could threaten parts of the united states. heavy snow, ice, flooding are all on the table. we have what to expect. >> good morning, isa. changes in store across the united states. eastern u.s. really. all eyes on this pattern forecast to develop as right now very quiet pattern but notice the date stamp. notice the time stamp transition thursday into friday. a frontal boundary across portions of the northeast. low pressure across the southeastern coast line. that's the elements we need for potentially a nor'easter. as this migrates towards the north, talking as early as saturday around 2 a.m. still a lot of days out. if the elements were in place where that front lines up, supplies the cold air, this disturbance pushes up along the eastern seaboard. supplies the moisture. viola, a significant amount of snow develops. a classic nor'easter. there's a significant difference between the guidance on the forecast models. some want to take in a little bit too close. plenty of air, if that's the case that reduces the moisture and we don't get a significant amount. there are a few models that have the goldilocks zone where it lines up between the two tracks. if that's the case, plenty of cold air, moisture and plenty of snowfall. in the american model, you see how it reduces the impacts. boston, one of those areas where snowfall is almost certainly going to be occurring but other areas remain to be seen. new york, highs of 27 degrees in. denver, highs around 20 degrees. isa? >> thank you very much, pedram. a loud conspiracy theorist meets with investigate orgs. who could they get help from? >> reporter: how would you plate president biden's action, response to what has been pra happening? do you think it should have been happening sooner. i sit down with ukraine's ambassador and discuss the response to the standoff with russia over ukraine. his response coming up. hours. rks in sr - that moment you walk in the office and people are wearing the same gear, you feel a sense of connectedness and belonging right away. and our shirts fm custom ink help bring us together. - [narrator]ustom ink has hundreds of products to help you feel connected. upload your logo]ustom ink has hundreds of products or start your design today at customink.com why burn a candle when you can switch to air wick essential mist? it's the modern way to transform fragrance infused with natural essential oils into a mist. air wick essential mist. connect to nature. some people have joint pain, plus have high blood pressure. they may not be able to take just anything for pain. that's why doctors recommend tylenol®. it won't raise blood pressure the way that advil® aleve® or motrin® sometimes can. for trusted relief, trust tylenol®. welcome back to "cnn newsroom." i'm isa soares. boris johnson is waiting for the results of the investigation into attendance of parties at 10 downing street during the lockdown. both investigations have him under pressure to resign. the biden administration is saying invasion remains imminent. they're set to meet today in paris. we'll have much more on those stories in about 30 minutes. meantime, i sat down with the ukrainian ambassador to discuss the standoff. given some countries are withdrawing, troops are on stand by and more military equipment is arriving by the day whether he believes a russian invasion is imminent. here's what he had to say. >> it's not just this particular incursion in beijing but they've been here for more than 7 and a half years already. sometimes ukraine is very strange. they stop panicking. you're right. the people did point out, ukrainians are very sensitive to this. >> do you think that decision was wise? do you think that sends the wrong message to russia? >> it sends a wrong message to ukrainians, that's for sure. it is sending the wrong message to russians, probably not. they believe they're achieving something. they want to be the second pillar. >> do you think russia has the upper hand as it tries to maneuver its own map or grand plan here. >> i'm not saying they have a high hand, they believe they have. they believe when everybody's leadership is weak, they believe they can actually take the opportunity of this particular moment and they are behaving the w way, they are -- >> do you think the west is weak? do you think more should be done, or could have been done a while back? >> i believe this is strategic mistake. readiness at some particular point this point will be reached. >> how would you rate president biden's action, response to what has been happening? do you think it should have happened sooner? >> we need more. >> what do you need more of. >> starting with all of the military assistance. sometimes it is important. very strong political statement. how can you be more serious than promising to send your own sons or daughters somewhere close to the conflict. you understand and it's so unpopular back home but when they are coming to the position that these people have to be ready to defend. this is the highest recognition of danger. >> not just shipments. do you think the u.s. should promise to have boots on the ground? >> we are not asking them yet. >> yet? >> yet. we don't want to be seen as panicking. they are not coming yet. we can take care of those who are already there but if anything happens we want them to be ready. >> do you think that request will come? >> if anything happens very serious, we will ask them. i understand it's not very popular and sorry for raising it here, but we will ask if anything tragic happens. >> we have talked so much about the politics. i want to get a sense of what you're hearing from the people of ukraine. what are you telling your loved ones and family? >> i had this conversation with my mom. she is alone in kyiv. she is quite okay. she believes that it's taken care of. i'm telling her, i'm trying to do everything i can. we're in the best place to keep calm and carry on. the famous second world war was more than here. what we are trying to do, we believe that we understand the situation correctly. whatever priority of putin is to push us so our system will collapse by itself. we can't allow it. >> and our thanks to ukraine's ambassador to ukraine for joining me. in washington meanwhile bipartisan talks are underway in congress for possible sanctions on russia. sources tell cnn there's some disagreement in the senate about whether to impose them preemptively or wait to see if russia invades ukraine. meanwhile, a companion bill has been introduced in the house. speaker nancy pelosi has indicated she'll put it up for vote in the coming weeks. the house committee investigating the attack on the capitol is questioning a conspiracy theorist. paula reid has the details for you. >> reporter: the house select committee investigating january 6th continues its quest to get more witnesses to talk meeting virtually on monday with right wing conspiracy theorist alex jones. he spoke about the appearance on his podcast monday. >> i just had a very intense experience being interrogated by the january 6th committee lawyers. they were polite but they were dogged. >> reporter: jones revealed he invoked the fifth amendment nearly 100 times. >> i said this almost 100 times during the interrogation, on advice of counsel, i am asserting my fifth amendment right to remain silent. >> reporter: and said he did not want to answer all the questions for fear of perfect jurying himself. >> i try to answer things correctly even if i don't know all the answers. half the questions i didn't know the answer to and a bunch of them were emails i had never seen and planning things i had never seen, at least from memory. >> reporter: the january 6th committee may get more information from another key trump ally, conservative attorney john eastman who worked for trump leading up to the insurrection. he tried to convince then vice president mike pence that he could overturn the election results on january 6th. a federal judge ordered eastman to respond to the committee's subpoena seeking his emails from the university where he previously worked. his lawyer acknowledged his client had been working for trump during key moments leading up to january 6th, including on january 2nd when he told state legislators that they needed to fix this egregious conduct that would put joe biden in the white house. when he was in the willard hotel's so-called war room with other trump contacts and on january 3rd when he met trump and vice president mike pence about blocking congressional certification of the 2020 vote. but the committee is still working to get cooperation from other key witnesses including former trump chief of staff mark meadows who said monday he will continue to fight his subpoena from the committee even after the supreme court rejected trump's bid to keep secret hundreds of his white house records claiming executive privilege. >> it's not something i can waive and it's not something the january 6th committee can waive. hopefully it will still be heard by the district court. >> the justice department is conducting its own investigation. earlier this month it charged 11 members of the oath keepers with seditious conspiracy related to january 6th. now on tuesday 10 of those defendants pleaded not guilty including the group's leader, stewart rhoades. the other defendant was not present for the hearing and has not yet entered a formal plea. paula reid, cnn, washington. coming up right here on "cnn newsroom," emotional testimony. witnesses recount the moment of the police murder of george floyd. that story just ahead. uhhh... how long does credit repair take? i don't knknow, like 10 years. what? are you insane? what's a good credit score? go.o. 600. maybe if you're trying to pay thousands extra in interest rates. cut the confusion, get started with a free credit evaluation at creditrepair.com. do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? qunol sleep formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. the brand i trust is qunol. blendjet's new year's sale is on now! make your resolutions come true with this incredible deal on blendjet 2. it packs the power of a big blender on the go, and it crushes right through ice. just drop in your favorite ingredients, even frozen fruit, and make a smoothie any time, anywhere. blendjet cleans itself. just add a drop of soap, water, and blend. recharge quickly with any usb port. order now on 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nypd commission says 27-year-old wilbert was shot friday. his partner, 22-year-old jason rivera was also killed. the suspect tried to run but was shot and killed by another officer on the scene. the federal civil rights trial of three former minnesota police officers is set to resume in the coming hours. the kasen terse on the police murder of george floyd in 2020. on tuesday the court heard emotional people. >> reporter: day tussauds a lot of repeat witnesses in the state trial of derek chauvin in 2021. charles mcmillan. he was a bystander to what happened in may of 2020 and george floyd under the knee of derek chauvin. he testified in the chauvin trial through tears that he felt helpless to what was happening in front of him. this trial he also broke down in tears as he described what he saw and that while he was watching things unfold he felt floyd was going to die. when the prosecution pushed him on whether he saw any form of medical assistance being given to floyd, he responded emphatically, no. we heard from chris martin whose manager initially called police because martin reported floyd had used a counterfeit bill. he saw officer push one of his co-workers when they tried to get a closer look at what was happening. he also testified that he did not think that anybody was going to help floyd and that made him emotional as he felt floyd looked dead. keep in mind, throughout all of this very traumatic body cam video is being shown. multiple jurors were wiping away tears. and george floyd's then girlfriend was seen sobbing at points during trial. she told one core reporter she feels she's lost floyd five times in the last few days. we also heard from the 911 dispatcher in may of 2020 that day, jenna scurry, but that's where things ended, with her testimony. when court returns on wednesday morning we are expecting to hear from the prosecution's next set of witnesses which could be genevieve hanson, a bystander that day -- eye witness to what happened and what is now known as george floyd square. omar jimenez, cnn, minnesota. >> needles to stay we'll follow it. still to come, as the winter games draw near, china is facing the ultimate test of its zero covid policy. what the country is doing next to keep the area safe. that is next. what are the three ps? the three ps of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80, what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock so your rate can never go up for any 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lanes for cars for olympic personnel and participants which has been up and running friday which covers all stadiums, arenas, venues in order to enter the system. you have to test negative twice before you can fly into beijing and yet covid-19 has found a way to breach the beijing olympic bubble. this only underscores the impossibility of eradicating the virus even in zero covid china. isa. >> explain to us what is happening with u.s. diplomats who seem to be concerned about china's zero covid policy. >> reporter: very concerned. they say a number of u.s. diplomatic staff and family are concerned about the zero covid policy. they're concerned about the travel concerns but on the potential because of these zero covid use. it would allow them to leave china and come back. they added that the u.s. state department has yet to approve this authorized departure. we have received a response from china. they know of this report that's out there online and on air at cnn. china has expressed serious concern and dissatisfaction. >> kristie lu stout, thank you very much. >> you bet. one of the most successful coaches in the history of the national football league is stepping down. sean payton has been with the new orleans saints since 2006. he says he doesn't want to call this retirement and he might coach again some day. >> i don't know what's next and it kind of feels good. the last thing i did before i went to bed, i google searched how not to cry during the speech and one of the items was drink water and yawn. i didn't want to yawn but it worked a little bit. >> drinking water is a good idea. payton says he may want to try his hand at the media and he thinks he'll be pretty good. preparations for the lvith super bowl halftime are underway. some claim they were asked to rehearse up to three days, something that from us straighted many in the entertainment community. the screen actors gild has rereached an agreement. the s.a.t. exam is going entirely digital. the test taken by prospective college students set to change in 2024. the goal to make a less stressful college board. it will be an hour shorter, making it easier to take. and that does it here for us on "cnn newsroom." i'm isa soares in london. our coverage of the ukraine crisis continues on "early start" with christine romans and laura jarrett. i shall see you tomorrow. have a wonderful day. bye-bye. essential mist aroma fragrances. for an exhilarating blend of essential oils. curated with citrus and mint to uplift the senses and transform your mood. air wick essential mist aroma. blendjet's new year's sale is on now! make your resolutions come true with this incredible deal on blendjet 2. it packs the power of a big blender on the go, and it crushes right through ice. just drop in your favorite ingredients, even frozen fruit, and make a smoothie any time, anywhere. blendjet cleans itself. just add a drop of soap, water, and blend. recharge quickly with any usb port. order now on blendjet.com and kick off the new year right! you don't know how much pressure you put on your septic system. but rid-x does. in a 21 month study, scientists proved that rid- x reduces up to 20% of waste build up every month. take the pressure off with rid-x. good morning, everyone. it is wednesday, january 26th. it's 5 a.m. here in new york. thanks so much for getting an early start with us. i'm laura jarrett. >> good wednesday morning, laura. i'm christine romans. we begin with the big question. will russia invade ukraine? if so, when? the white house calls an invasion imminent. the reality less clear. president biden says this is all putin, but no one, not even kremlin officials knows what the russian president will do. the u.s. president is still planning to reposition u.s. forces to show commitment to ukraine and to