Russia-Ukraine updates: US to ban Russian carriers from its airspace

Biden will announce the news in his State of the Union address, a source said.

Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.

The attack began Feb. 24 as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation."

Russians moving from Belarus towards Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, don't appear to have advanced closer towards the city since coming within about 20 miles, although smaller advanced groups have been fighting gun battles with Ukrainian forces inside the capital since at least Friday.

Russia has been met by sanctions from the U.S., Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting Russia's economy and Putin himself.


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White House seeks $6.4B in funding for Ukraine response: Source

The White House is seeking $6.4 billion in new funding to respond to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a source confirmed to ABC News Friday.

The aid package will likely "evolve," the source said, but currently includes $3.5 billion for Pentagon costs and $2.9 billion for humanitarian assistance to support Ukraine and Eastern European allies.

The funding will likely be included as part of the omnibus package Congress intends to pass by March 11, the source said.

The resources are in addition to the $650 million in security assistance and $52 million in humanitarian assistance the U.S. has committed to Ukraine over the past year.

“As the President and bipartisan members of Congress have made clear, the United States is committed to supporting the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and democracy," a White House official said in a statement Friday. "In a recent conversation with lawmakers, the Administration identified the need for additional U.S. humanitarian, security, and economic assistance to Ukraine and Central European partners due to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion."

-ABC News' Mariam Khan


UN Security Council holds vote to condemn Russia

The U.N. Security Council held a vote Friday evening on the U.S.- and Albania-led resolution to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Eleven countries voted in favor of the measure while three -- China, India and the United Arab Emirates -- abstained. Russia predictably vetoed it.


In a speech prior to the vote, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield laid out a stark choice for the council's members: Vote yes to uphold the U.N. charter and defend any country's rights, or vote no or abstain and "align yourself with aggressive and unprovoked actions of Russia."

"History will judge us for our actions or lack thereof, and so long as we have a Security Council, I believe we are to strive to ensure it lives up to the highest purposes -- to prevent conflict and avert unnecessary war," she said. "Russia has already subverted that mission. But at a minimum -- at the very minimum -- the rest of us have an obligation to object and to stand up for the U.N. charter."


The resolution condemned Russia's aggression; reaffirmed Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity; and demanded that Russia immediately withdraw its forces.

In brief remarks after the vote, Thomas-Greenfield said that while Russia can veto a resolution, "you cannot veto our voices."

She confirmed they will bring the resolution to the U.N. General Assembly, where all countries have a vote and there is no veto power -- but where resolutions are nonbinding.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan


Ukraine says it is in 'initial stage' of talks with Russia

Ukraine is in the "initial stage of contacts" for possible negotiations with Russia to end the fighting, a spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ABC News.

The two governments are discussing details such as the time and place of the talks, the spokesman, Sergiy Nykyforov, said. The meeting would take place between advisers and aides and not Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he added.

The Kremlin said earlier Friday it was ready to send a delegation for talks to Belarus' capital, Minsk, and claimed Zelenskyy was ready to discuss "neutral status" for Ukraine. Russia’s foreign ministry later claimed Zelenskyy's administration had said to postpone any more discussion of talks until Saturday.

The discussions come as Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians in a televised address that Russia will attempt to storm Kyiv tonight.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell and Fidel Pavlenko


Zelenskyy warns Russia will try to 'storm' Kyiv tonight

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in a televised address moments ago that he believes Russian forces will "storm" the capital of Kyiv overnight.

“The night will be more difficult than the day,” he said, as the sound of shelling and loud booms from airstrikes could be heard over Kyiv.

"We cannot lose Kyiv," he said.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell