Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations
A third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine ended without any resolution.
Russian forces are continuing their attempted push through Ukraine from multiple directions, while Ukrainians, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are putting up "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.
The attack began Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation."
Russian forces moving from neighboring Belarus toward Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, have advanced closer to the city center in recent days despite the resistance, coming within about 9 miles as of Friday.
Russia has been met by sanctions from the United States, Canada and countries throughout Europe, targeting the Russian economy as well as Putin himself.
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Latest headlines:
- Ukrainian air force claims Russia carried out false flag airstrike in Belarus
- UN has credible reports of Russian cluster bomb use, attacks on health care
- Putin claims 'certain positive movements' in Ukraine negotiations
- Russian general prosecutor wants Meta declared 'extremist organization'
- Putin orders Russian military to help volunteer fighters from Middle East travel to Ukraine
Pelosi on call with Zelenskyy: 'He wants the planes'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that his country needs aircraft in order to continue its resistance from the Russian invasion.
"He wants planes. He wants anti-missile weaponry. He wants armored cars ... tanks," Pelosi said of the 45-minute call on Wednesday. "He wants the planes, the planes, the planes."
It was not clear whether Pelosi was aware of the Pentagon’s statement rejecting a plan from Poland to provide Soviet jets to Ukraine in exchange for newer American replacements. She also continued to dim the prospects of the U.S. instituting a "no-fly" zone.
"He also said that we're going to need everybody's help rebuilding Ukraine," Pelosi said.
-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa, Benjamin Siegel and Rachel Scott
Most humanitarian corridors for evacuees not holding: Zelenskyy's adviser
Ukraine has evacuated about 40,000 people in the last 24 hours, but most of the agreed-upon humanitarian corridors in six cities in Ukraine are still not holding, Ukrainian presidential adviser David Arakhmia said Wednesday.
Officials had hoped to move at least 100,000 women and children out of the country in that time frame but were not able to because the corridors were not clear, he said.
The northern city of Sumy was again the only place where a substantial evacuation was able to take place, with local authorities estimating 20,000 people left Wednesday.
An evacuation column was also able to bring people out of Energodar, the city that is home to the nuclear power station attacked last week, taking them to Zaporizhzhia.
An evacuation attempt from the besieged city of Mariupol again had to be abandoned, while in the region north of Kyiv, 50 buses attempting to evacuate people via a new humanitarian corridor became trapped after Russia forces blocked them. It was unclear whether those buses were eventually permitted to continue on to Kyiv. Some people, including 50 children, were evacuated today.
About 250 people were evacuated from the northeastern town of Izyum near Kharkiv, the advisor said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said humanitarian corridors have again been agreed upon with temporary cease-fires for Thursday.
Russia could use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, White House warns
Russia could use chemical or biological warfare as it escalates its attack on Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement to ABC News Wednesday.
"We should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them," Psaki said. "It’s a clear pattern, and no one should fall for it."
Psaki prefaced that statement by noting false claims from Russia, endorsed by China, "about alleged U.S. biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine," calling those accusations "preposterous."
"It’s exactly the kind of disinformation operation we’ve seen repeatedly from the Russians over the years in Ukraine and in other countries around the world, which have been debunked conclusively, and an example of the types of false pretexts we have been warning the Russians would invent," she said.
The U.S. is in "full compliance" with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention and "does not develop or possess such weapons anywhere," Psaki said.
-ABC News' Justin Gomez
Russia could see Poland’s MiG-29's as 'escalatory,' Pentagon says
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby explained in a press briefing Wednesday why accepting Poland’s MIG-29 jets to aid Ukraine is not a good idea, saying that U.S. intelligence has assessed the move is high-risk and that Russia could see it as "escalatory," therefore increasing the prospects of military escalation with NATO.
"We believe the provision of additional fighter aircraft provides little increased capabilities at high risk," Kirby said.
In a telephone call U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had with Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczakearlier on Wednesday, Austin thanked Błaszczak for the support to Ukraine provided but essentially said the MiG-29 deal was not the optimal way, Kirby told reporters.
"We believe that the gain from transferring those MIG-29 is low," Kirby said, adding that because the Ukrainian Air Force currently has several squadrons of fully mission capable aircraft, adding aircraft to the Ukrainian inventory likely will not significantly change the effectiveness of the Ukrainian Air Force
The U.S. will explore other options to aid Ukraine, including providing them with the weapons and the systems they need most, such as anti-armor and air defense, Kirby said.
"We also believe that there are alternative options that are much better suited to support the Ukrainian military in their fight against Russia," he said. "We will continue to pursue those options."
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
Senate approves $1.5 trillion funding bill with supplemental aid to Ukraine
The Senate passed a $1.5 trillion government funding bill late Thursday that includes $13.6 billion in supplemental aid to Ukraine by a vote of 68-31.
The legislation will now head to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.
In a statement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki thanked leaders for "getting this bill done" and said Biden "looks forward to signing it into law."
"With these resources, we will be able to deliver historic support for the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and democracy," she said in part.
The supplemental Ukrainian aid is split between defense and nondefense funding. The $1.5 trillion also includes funding for many of the administration's priorities as well as sizable amounts for defense spending.
-ABC News' Allie Pecorin and Justin Gomez