Top American officials painted a grim picture of what a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine would look like, as Ukraine declared a nationwide state of emergency starting midnight Thursday; An envoy from West Africa's regional bloc arrived in Mali on Thursday for talks with the military junta over restoring civilian rule in the volatile country; And A commission created by the junta that seized power in Burkina Faso last month has proposed a 30-month transition period before the country returns to constitutional rule.