Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day

Putin warns he’s ready to use his military. McDonald's is forced to ration customers' fries in Japan. Global stocks rebound. Here’s what you need to know this morning.

Vladimir Putin warned he's ready to use his military to counter NATO’s expansion toward Russian borders, but said he hoped for a diplomatic solution to rising tensions as the U.S. said it was ready to discuss his security demands. The Russian president told the German chancellor that Moscow wants "legally enshrined" security guarantees that would bar any NATO advance eastward or the deployment of missiles in countries bordering Russia. The U.S. and Europe accuse Russia of a massive build-up of troops near Ukraine in preparation for a possible invasion as early as next month, something Russia denies. The U.S. and its allies are working on plans to impose painful new sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine.