Russia-Ukraine updates: US sanctions Russian military shipbuilder, diamond miner

State Department spokesperson Ned Price called on Russia to provide consular access to WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner in an interview with ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis on Thursday.

In the weeks since her detention, U.S. officials from the embassy in Moscow have been unable to meet with her and "evaluate the conditions, her conditions, the conditions in which she is being detained and to provide all forms of support," Price said.

"The Russians are obligated to permit, to allow this type of consular access," Price added. "We're going to continue to insist that they allow us access to Brittney Griner just as we be permitted to access all Americans who are detained in Russia."

Another State Department spokesperson confirmed to ABC News that Griner is in pretrial detention, and that Russia must provide consular access in those circumstances.

The State Department has been "in constant contact" with Griner's legal team and the WNBA, Price said.

Griner, who plays for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury as well as in Russia, was arrested last month at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said they found vape cartridges in her luggage.

Her detention has been extended to May 19, the Russian news agency TASS reported Thursday.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan and Tanya Stukalova

A U.S. citizen was killed Thursday in Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, a State Department official confirmed to ABC News, after Chernihiv regional police reported an American was killed by Russian shelling.

The State Department official did not provide more details.

The American was identified by Ukrainian officials as 68-year-old James Whitney Hill. He was killed in an artillery strike, according to Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry.

Hill's sister, Katya Hill, also confirmed to ABC News that her brother was killed in Chernihiv.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan, Patrick Reevell and Chris Looft

During a St. Patrick's Day event at the White House Thursday evening, President Joe Biden briefly remarked on the war in Ukraine, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin "has launched an unconscionable war against Ukraine, against the very pillars of international peace and stability."

Biden said the U.S. and Ireland understand the Ukrainians' defense of their liberty.

"As two nations that have fought for freedom, we recognize the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people who defend their liberty now,” Biden said. "The Republic of Ireland and our nation have lived through war. We're determined though to help the Ukrainian people bring an end to Putin's brutal assault, and restore peace to the Ukrainian people."

He said that the U.S. and Ireland understood the plight of Ukrainian refugees and "stay united" with their international partners "to keep pressure on Putin."

"As nations that have been marked by immigrants who departed Ireland in coffin ships and immigrants who sought the safety of new beginnings in the United States, we are open, and our hearts are open, and our arms are open to help more than 3 million Ukrainian refugees who've already fled Putin's onslaught," Biden said.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

In the latest move to try to cripple Russia's economy, the House of Representatives has voted 424-8 to end normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.

Eight Republicans voted no: Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Glenn Grothman, Thomas Massie and Chip Roy.

The legislation strips Russia and Belarus of their permanent normal trade relations statuses and expands President Joe Biden’s power by allowing him to raise tariffs on the countries’ products.

It also gives the Biden administration the authority to impose further sanctions on Russia and its allies by expanding the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act; according to the bill's text, Biden may impose sanctions on foreign persons who are “responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse."

The legislation also calls on the World Trade Organization to suspend Russia’s participation by revoking its “most favored nation” status, which would allow higher tariff rates to be imposed on Russian goods.

The legislation now heads to the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has vowed to move it along quickly.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa, Mariam Khan