Axios

A senior U.S. official told reporters on Monday evening Russia's plan to send "peacekeeping" forces into eastern Ukraine would "not be a new step," but it would make Russia's existing presence in the separatist-held areas "more overt."

Why it matters: The U.S. and its European allies have been warning for weeks that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would trigger "massive" sanctions on Russia. But they have not offered a clear definition of what would constitute such an invasion, and the senior official declined to do so on Monday's call.

Colombia's Constitutional Court on Monday voted 5-4 to decriminalize abortions in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in what proponents called a historic decision for women's rights.

The big picture: It's the latest sign that views about the procedure are shifting in Catholic-majority Latin American countries, especially as the right to an abortion in the U.S., which served as a cultural example, is at risk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a combative, hourlong address on Monday that he will recognize two breakaway "republics" in eastern Ukraine as independent.

The latest: In a decree recognizing the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), Putin ordered the Russian military to conduct "peacekeeping operations" in the occupied Ukrainian territories.

Israel is evacuating its embassy in Kyiv and moving diplomats to Lviv in Western Ukraine due to growing concerns about a Russian invasion, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said on Monday.

Why it matters: Israel delayed this decision for several days and even sent more diplomats to Kyiv to help Israelis evacuate, but the government has now concluded that the Israelis who want to leave have left and it is too dangerous to keep diplomats in Kyiv. The U.S. embassy shifted operations to Lviv last week.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ended England's self-isolation requirement for people who test positive for COVID-19 despite pushback from scientists.

Why it matters: Though the government still advises people with COVID to stay at home and avoid contact with others, Johnson said that Monday's move, which goes into effect Feb. 24, will aim to treat COVID like any other transmissible illness.

Russia is testing its agility at weaponizing state media to win backing at home, in occupied territories in eastern Ukraine and with sympathizers abroad for a war of aggression.

The big picture: State media has pivoted from accusing the West of hysterical warnings about a non-existent invasion to pumping out minute-by-minute coverage of the tensions.

Russia claimed Monday that its forces had killed five Ukrainians with anti-tank weapons after their vehicles crossed into Russian territory, which Ukraine denied. The head of Russia's FSB intelligence service later claimed one Ukrainian soldier had been captured.

Why it matters: U.S. and Ukrainian officials have vehemently denied claims that Ukraine would launch attacks on Russia soil at a time when 150,000 Russian troops are massed on the borders, but fear they're part of the Kremlin's efforts to justify an imminent invasion.

Officials have discovered warnings that hackers plan to launch a spate of cyberattacks on Ukraine's government, banking, and defense sectors on Tuesday, Ukraine's government-run cybersecurity agency CERT-UA announced in a press release Monday.

State of play: Ukrainian authorities discovered the cyberattack warnings on a hacking forum, per Reuters.

Beijing mostly got what it wanted from the Winter Olympics — a smooth Games without a major COVID outbreak. But political and human rights controversies were never far from the surface.

Why it matters: The Chinese government has poured billions of dollars into new infrastructure, facilities and COVID testing for the Winter Olympics, hoping the investment would pay off with a boost to China's international image.

President Biden agreed "in principle" to hold a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the White House confirmed on Sunday evening.

Driving the news: Biden said the meeting can only take place if Russia does not invade Ukraine, according to statements from the White House and French President Emmanuel Macron's office, which first announced the news.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions would lift once the threat of Omicron has passed.

Why it matters: NZ imposed some of the world's toughest pandemic measures and largely contained the virus to managed hotel quarantine facilities for returning residents before Delta arrived and the government moved away from an elimination strategy toward one focused on vaccinations.

Australia reopened its international border for the first time in nearly two years on Monday.

Why it matters: Australia's borders shut to most non-residents in March 2020, as the pandemic spread across the world.

The U.S. says it has "credible information" indicating "Russian forces are creating lists" of Ukrainians "to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation," the Washington Post first reported Sunday.

Driving the news: Bathsheba Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, warns in a letter to the UN, confirmed by a State Department official, that the information "indicates that human rights violations and abuses in the aftermath of a further invasion are being planned."