Axios

Multiple senior U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News the U.S. is prepared to launch a preemptive strike if they become convinced North Korea is about to test a nuclear weapon.

The U.S. would strike with non-nuclear weapons, the officials say, and has two destroyers capable of shooting Tomahawk missiles in the region, as well as heavy fighters positioned in Guam. The Pentagon has also rerouted the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier. The U.S. would reportedly seek South Korean consent before striking.

But North Korea says it would "hit the U.S. first" with nukes if the U.S. signals a strike.

The evidence North Korea might be about to launch a test: Experts report Pyongyang is primed to launch its sixth nuclear test from its Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site within days, based on satellite images captured Wednesday.

Update: A senior administration official told the AP it was "completely false" that the U.S. was preparing for a pre-emptive strike.

Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a grim press conference following a 2 hour meeting between Tillerson and Vladimir Putin, with the U.S. Secretary of State conceding that U.S./Russia relations had reached "a low point."

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson became the first senior member of the Trump administration to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin today after a prolonged will-they-won't-they standoff prior to Tillerson's visit to the Kremlin, per the AP. According to a U.S. embassy official, they concluded their meeting after nearly 2 hours.

Maybe a little awkward: "The level of trust [with the United States] at the working level, especially at the military level, has not become better but most likely has degraded," Putin told Russian state television today.

Don't forget: Back in 2013, Putin awarded then-ExxonMobil CEO Tillerson the Order of Friendship medal, one of Russia's highest honors for foreign citizens.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson begins meetings today in Moscow amid grave tensions and name-calling between the U.S. and Russia, roiled by the U.S. missile strike on Syria. The ground is fertile for the start of genuine diplomatic discussions over Syria.

Why it matters: Putin knows that he has a problem in Syria — he wants to retain Russia's military presence there, but is not wedded to President Bashar al-Assad. Therefore, he will be looking for a face-saving way out of the current crisis. Aides to Putin threatened that Tillerson would get no meeting with the Russian leader, but look for at least a courtesy handshake between them — both sides know it is silly to keep barking at each other, and that they need to restore some decorum to the relationship. Ultimately, the Russian side still believes Trump is someone they can do business with.

The FBI and DOJ got a FISA warrant to monitor the communications of Carter Page, Donald Trump's former foreign policy advisor, for possible links to Russia, per a Washington Post report.

What this means: The agencies convinced the secret court there was probable cause to believe Page was acting as an agent for Russia. Recall, earlier this month, Page confirmed he met with a Russian spy who was allegedly trying to turn him, although he has denied any wrongdoing.

Why it matters: As the Post puts it, "This is the clearest evidence so far that the FBI had reason to believe during the 2016 presidential campaign that a Trump campaign adviser was in touch with Russian agents."