Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations

In his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden began by discussing the war in Eastern Europe and condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Biden invoked the strength of the Ukrainian people amid the attack, lauding the civilians who took up arms to defend their country and highlighting the work Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova has done on behalf of her people.

"She’s bright. She’s strong, and she’s resolved," Biden said as first lady Jill Biden hugged Markarova.

Many lawmakers in attendance showed their support for Ukraine by wearing color-coordinated outfits and lapel pins in blue and yellow.

Biden described the invasion as "premeditated and totally unprovoked," vowing, alongside NATO allies, to hold Putin accountable with sanctions on the Russian economy and Putin and the oligarchs themselves.

"When dictators do not pay a price for their aggressions, they cause more chaos," Biden said. “They keep moving.”

Biden announced that American airspace would be closed to all Russian flights and pledged $1 billion in direct assistance to help "ease suffering" in Ukraine.

The president also "made clear" that while American forces would not go fight in Ukraine, he has mobilized the military to protect NATO countries.

"The United States and our Allies will defend every inch of territory that is NATO territory with the full force of our collective power," he said.

-ABC News' Julia Jacobo and Ben Gittleson

President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address announced the U.S. will ban Russian flights from its airspace, joining Canada and the European Union, which issued bans on Russian planes in their respective airspaces over the weekend.

"Tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights -- further isolating Russia -- and adding an additional squeeze on their economy," Biden said.

The ban will apply to "operations of all aircraft owned, certified, operated, registered, chartered, leased, or controlled by, for, or for the benefit of, a person who is a citizen of Russia," according to the Federal Aviation Administration. "This includes passenger and cargo flights, and scheduled as well as charter flights, effectively closing U.S. air space to all Russian commercial air carriers and other Russian civil aircraft."

The ban will be "fully effective" by the end of the day Wednesday, the FAA said.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

While all eyes in Washington are on President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, some lawmakers have been working the phones to rally support at the United Nations for a resolution before the General Assembly to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and call for a peaceful resolution.

Working with the United States Mission to the United Nations, Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have identified more than a dozen countries to target and called for ambassadors and key diplomats to leverage relationships to build more support for the nonbinding resolution.

"This has been a way for Congress to really play an important role working with the executive branch in getting this done and showing the world that Russia's actions are illegal and should be condemned," Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, a senior member of the committee that is leading the effort, told ABC News.

The vote "is an opportunity for countries to take a stand, and it's especially a chance for the United States to demonstrate leadership among the nations of the world," he said.

"President Biden and his administration, and now Congress, I believe, have demonstrated our ability to marshal our allies to condemn something the world has worked for decades to root out -- which is a sovereign nation invading another."

Republicans have also been working to build support for the measure in the General Assembly, Castro said.

-ABC News’ Ben Siegel

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the accounts of racism at the border by people of color attempting to flee, tweeting Tuesday, "Ukraine’s government spares no effort to solve the problem."

Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also addressed the reports of racism and discrimination during a powerful speech at the U.N. Assembly on Tuesday.

"Every refugee must receive protection, no matter what their nationality, no matter what their religion, no matter of the color of their skin," Baerbock said.

-ABC News' Kirit Radia and Zoha Qamar