Ignored but he also said diplomatic talks should continue. As we speak, members of two key Senate Committees are gathering for a closed door briefing by defense secretary lloyd austin, and secretary of state, antony blinken, were expecting russia to be a very big part of it. In ukraine, the countrys Foreign Minister is kicking off a news conference, one day after president zelensky warned if a conflict breaks out, it will not be just between ukraine and russia but a full scale war in europe, the likes of which we have not seen in 80 years. I want you to look at this new satellite imagery, it shows the build up of russian forces. This shows tents and equipment in belarus, to the north. And this one in crimea, you can see the massive numbers of fighting vehicles lined up, ready to go. On the other side of the border, Ukrainian Forces are digging in, getting ready for a fight. I want you to look at this picture, it says it all. The ukrainians are now using Vladimir Putins face for their target practice. If that is not a message, i dont know what is. So lets discuss and bring in nbcs matt bradley in eastern ukraine, and the former u. S. Ambassador to ukraine, bill taylor who just got from kyiv. Ambassador, you were just there. Putin rejected what the u. S. And nato had to say. There could be a diplomatic producer. I spoke to gary, and he gags at this idea that you could even say the wordy diplomacy with putin in the room. Gag or not, i think what mr. Putin is saying to us is he is ready to back out. Hes ready to negotiate rather than invade, which means that the strong position that president zelensky has been taking, biden has been taking, nato has been taking has worked. It has deterred an invasion, it has demonstrated strong unity. It has demonstrated that nato allies are willing to provide and are providing weapons to ukraine that will deter and i believe have deterred an invasion for now. Diplomacy takes time, and thats a thats the right step whether or not its a gag, it is the right step rather than an invasion. Its certainly the right stop but seems like the opposite of what we have been hearing from ukraine. Two weeks ago, zelensky is saying calm down, do not panic. Now hes saying this could turn into a Massive International conflict. Thats a huge shift. Tell us what its really like there. Reporter yeah, i mean, stephanie if youre out here on the front lines and these are front lines again, not necessarily with russia, theyre front lines with russianbacked separatists, so ukrainians who are fighting against ukrainians in a trench warfare reminiscent of world war i. These soldiers i talked torks to, again they have that resigned feeling, and its not that he was saying necessarily this isnt a big deal. He was asking the question of the foreign press, how do you expect us to behave. Youre expecting us to panic, but at the end of the day, you have to realize we have been fighting this war for eight years, and the soldiers we just met in the trenches yesterday, they had the same attitude because they had been sitting in the mud and the snow and the rain for the past eight years, fighting on and off against these fellow ukrainians. So, you know, for them this isnt new, and thats why a lot of people arent panicking in this part of the country because they have seen this war. Its been going on the whole time. Heres what some of them had to say to us. Some people say that the Ukrainian Military is out manned and out gunned by the russians. How do you feel about that . Translator thats my land and death by hands for this land because thats my modeling. Reporter so yeah, as you can see, these guys arent necessarily ready to take on the third most powerful military until the world with some fairly light artillery and rifles. If russia decides to invade, they will roll over the position with heavy artillery, air power, and naval power to hammer those positions. They will make a meal out of the Ukrainian Military before they cross the berm into ukraine. Those soldiers know that, and thats why when i talk to Defense Officials and people who are close to the government, they say that the real plan is for more of a sustained insurgency led by the military against a russian occupation. So its not necessarily all that bad. They feel like they will be able to tax the Russian Military but not on the open battlefield. Thats something they cant hope to do. They dont have the air and naval power, stephanie. I hope youre right. I hope a diplomatic route is the way were headed, but if theres a war, what do you think it will look like. Matt bradley whos doing a great job out there, by the way, i saw him when i was in kyiv. It will be terrible. It will be terrible. A war in europe, a war in ukraine, remember, stephanie, that russians who have crafted this war have already killed 14,000 ukrainians since they invaded the first time in 2014. So a new war that the russians acknowledge and will be clear to have the Russian Military moving into ukraine with all the power that matt just described will cost a lot of will cost Tens Of Thousands of ukraine soldier asks civilians dead. It will cost thousands of russian soldiers dead. The russian people are not eager to have this fight. Theyre not eager to see their country invade ukraine. They are opposed to that. Explain to us how hard it would be because putin seems to believe if he invades ukraine, russia can take it over like they did crimea. Crimea has like 2 million people. Ukraine has like 40 million people. What would this look like for putin, this is no crimea. Youre absolutely right. He has had no option, when he moved his troops, hes had his military troops in dombass for the big fights in 2016 and also since then. What were now talking about is a major escalation, and matts right, while the Ukrainian Military is much stronger, much stronger than it was in 2014 and will impose costs on the russians as they come across. Theyve got better weapons. We know about the javelins but we also know that the ukrainian troops are defending their own land, but if russians try to occupy, as you say, its a nation of 44 million people, its a nation the size of texas or afghanistan, and afghanistan ought to be like a concerning memory for mr. Putin, this is a big country, and they will fight. The ukrainians will fight. The military will fight, but the civilians will fight and the veterans. There are 500,000 veterans of that war, stephanie, and you showed their willingness, their determination. I just saw it. I talked to people who are ready to go, already training to fight russians if they come to their villages and towns and cities. Matt, do you feel safe where you are right now . Reporter you know, stephanie, like a lot of front line war zones, you dont get the feeling that danger is imminent. There are so many people just going about their daily lives and its a lot like what president zelensky said where he played down or appeared to play down the risk of war. Its like what do you expect people to do. Theyre not going to start packing their bags, running around with their hair on fire. They have to go about their daily lives and will continue to do so. So the palpable feeling one gets around here is one of sort of a resigned almost boredom for what is for most people more of an inconvenience thats been lasting and persisting for the past eight years rather than an imminent threat that could come crushing down on them at any minute, and i think a lot of people here really do think that putin is bluffing. They really believe that putin is once again as hes done with this country or as russia has done with this country for centuries, using ukraine as a kuj yol, a strategy that has been used for hundreds of years, and ukrainians are tired of it but also used to it. They dent necessarily expect to see a massive army come filing in. I spoke with civilians living near the front line, and they said, look, we love russian people, we love ukrainian people, but the fact is this is a war if there is going to be a war thats going to be waged between elites and the rest of us are just going to be victims. Stephanie. That is one way to put it. They believe he is bluffing. Theyre banking on it. Ambassador matt, thank you both so much. I appreciate it. Weve got to turn to big news on the battle against the coronavirus for the youngest among us. Pfizer officially requesting Emergency Authorization for the twodose vaccine for kids under 5. An Fda Advisory Panel will meet February 15th to consider the request. A new poll finds many parents remain cautious about the vaccine. Just 31 say theyd vaccinate their kids under 5 right away. 29 will wait and see, and 26 say they definitely will not vaccinate their youngest children. Lets bring in meg tirrell and dr. Paul offit on the committee that evaluates safety. Walk us through whats going to happen next. Well, steph, what were expecting is that we get to see the data, and thats the most important thing. That should happen in a couple of weeks, a few days before the February 15th, Advisory Committee meeting, and thats so important because a lot of us are wondering what has changed since december when the last we heard from pfizer was that the dose for 2 to 4yearolds didnt generate enough of an immune response. Theyre adding that third dose in order to increase the protection. We know that the Omicron Surge has caused a lot of cases among kids and the fda pointed out a lot of hospitalizations as well in this age group. And there is an expectation backed up by some reporting from the Washington Post that we could even see efficacy data in this update, meaning how many cases did the vaccine prevent in this age group. If there are strong efficacy data coupled with strong safety data, that changes the game. Right now, its very uncertain when the last weve heard is the dose they were giving with just two shots was not high enough. Doctor, you were on the fda Advisory Committee, what is your recommendation . Wait to see the data. I think on February 15th, you will all be able to see the data. You can watch that meeting occur live, live stream it, and as meg said, youll have the submission by pfizer, which will probably be 50 or 60 pages long. Youll have the submission by the fda who will have reviewed all of that data. If it comes to be there is a twodose vaccine that can stand alone, something that clearly is safe and effective, it would get an approval. That would have to be true. There has to be robust data showing that those two things are true, that its safe and effective. Otherwise were not going to allow distribution of that vaccine, at least not recommend distribution of the vaccine for americas children. Ive got two for you, doctor. We showed a poll that only 31 of parents would get their kids vaccinated right away. What would you tell those parents . Im with them. I cant wait to see the data. I think they should be reassured everybody around the Vaccine Table is like them skeptical. If you ask me right now, would i give a vaccine to a child less than 5 years old, no, not until i see the data. If i data do support the use, then i think one should give it. Its disappointing that we have had since may a vaccine available for 12 to 15yearolds but 50 have gotten it. Or a vaccine from 5 to 11, only 20 are vaccinated. When we see children over 5 who are hospitalized, they are not vaccinated and they could have been, and nor are their parents and children. Once the data are there, the numbers should shift. Meg, separate from what parents feel comfortable doing. Once this does get approved do we expect to see a lot more businesses require a push to get their employees back . A lot of them have been waiting because lots of employees say i have young kids at home. Once those people can get their kids vaccinated, are we going to see a lot of businesses say, time to get back to work . You know, thats a really great question and what we have been hearing is its been really different for different companies. Some are still saying were going to be flexible. Were going to look at the overall amount of virus thats circulating in the communities to be able to decide whether were bringing people back, but there is an expectation that making this vaccine available if it is safe and effective for this age group will absolutely change the game. A lot of parents of kids who are under 5 like me have really been waiting for this piece to feel like, okay, were with everybody else. We can get that protection if we want it, and we can go back to somewhat more normal of a life, you know, knowing that you have that protection particularly against severe disease. So many parents are waiting for that, and of course they hope it changes absences in schools and Quarantine Rules and things like that as well. Thats a big hope. It certainly is. Dr. Offit, meg tirrell, thank you both so much. Were going to leave it there. Another wicked blast of winter, impacting tens of millions of americans this morning. Were talking snow and ice with dangerous conditions from new mexico all the way to the northeast. Lets go right to Megan Fitzgerald in chicago. This does not sound good. It doesnt look good. Whats going on there . Reporter the snow has been coming down since late last night. Its not expected to taper off here until late this afternoon. In some parts of illinois, expect to go see upwards of 20 inches of snow. Here in chicago, you can see the snow just continuing to pile up here. Were talking about an inch of snow an hour. The governor of illinois issuing an emergency declaration. A declaration disaster. Activating some 100 National Guard members to be on the ready to respond in the event of any emergency. This is what were seeing across much of the u. S. At this point. A lot of Heads Of State urging the residents to stay home. Thats the safest place to be. We know the roads across the country are treacherous, as you mentioned from the border of mexico to vermont. One of the biggest concerns is ice, freezing rain, thats something that is being seen from arkansas all the way up to the ohio valley. And then of course you think of our friends in texas, many of them really concerned because last year, of course, freezing temperatures shut down the power grid. They were without energy for several days. That was a deadly situation there, and so its not just the roads, though, of course youve got to think of the skies as well, and at this point, we know that at least 2,000 flights have been delayed with 2,500 flights cancelled at this point. This is a storm thats expected to deliver a onetwo punch. This is the first of it. Were going to see the rest of it coming tomorrow, steph you better stay safe where you are. I mean, its going to take hours to dig those cars out. Im not sure how you are getting back to wherever youre staying, but hopefully youve got good boots on you. We have Breaking News right now from the white house. I want to bring Peter Alexander in. Peter what have you learned . It sounds like we lost peter. Were going to take a quick break and be back with that news on the other side. A quick break and be back with that news break and be back with that news on the other side. Mm, smooth. Uh, they are a little tight. Like, too tight . Might just need to bre em in a little bit. You dont want em too loose. For those who were born to ride theres progressive. With 24 7 roadside assistance. Okay. Think im gonna wear these home. Excellent choice. Im always up for whats next, even with higher stroke risk due to afib not caused by a heart valve problem. So if theres a better treatment than warfarin ill go after that. Eliquis. Eliquis reduces stroke risk better than warfarin and has less major bleeding than warfarin. Eliquis has both. Dont Stop Taking Eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an Artificial Heart Valve or abnormal bleeding. While taking, you may bruise more easily or take longer for bleeding to stop. Get help right away for unexpected bleeding, or unusual bruising. It may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. The number one cardiologistprescribed blood thinner. Ask your doctor about eliquis. Woman i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Now, theres skyrizi. With skyrizi, 3 out of 4 people achieved 90 clearer skin at 4 months after just two doses. Skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or coughs or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. Nothing is everything. Woman talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. Learn how abbvie could help you save. Lets bring you that Breaking News, nbc news confirming that President Biden has formally approved plans to send u. S. Troops to Eastern Europe in response to the russian threat to ukraine. I want to bring in nbcs chief White House CorrespondentPeter Alexander and bring back former u. S. Ambassador to ukraine, bill taylor. What do you know. Reporter i think this announcement will be formalized in the next 45 minutes or so when we hear from john kirby, the spokesperson of the Department Of Defense. Nbc news has confirmed at the president s direction and following the recommendation of the defense secretary, secretary austin, the u. S. Will be repositioning some forces already in europe into Eastern Europe, and mobilizing some a