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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Biden says Russian troops remain in a 'threatening position'

President Joe Biden delivered an update from the White House on the status of Ukraine's border and said the U.S. has "not yet verified" that Russian troops have pulled back as the Kremlin has claimed.

"We have not yet verified that the Russian military units are returning to their home bases. Indeed, our analysts remain that they remain very much in a threatening position," Biden said from the White House East Room.

Biden emphasized that the U.S. believes the best way forward is through diplomacy and de-escalation but placed the ball in Putin's court.

"The United States is prepared, no matter what happens. We are ready with diplomacy -- to be engaged in diplomacy with Russia. And our allies and partners to improve stability and security in Europe as a whole. And we are ready to respond decisively to a Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility," he said.


US reiterates need to confirm any Russian de-escalation

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Russian counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that the U.S. "looks forward" to receiving Russia's response to U.S. and NATO proposals "within the coming days," according to his spokesperson Ned Price, with both sides noting again in readouts of their call Tuesday there is continued space for diplomatic talks.

Blinken "reiterated our ongoing concerns that Russia has the capacity to launch an invasion of Ukraine at any moment and emphasized the need to see verifiable, credible, meaningful de-escalation," Price said, in a nod to Russia's claims that it has started pulling some troops back, even though U.S. officials say they haven't verified that yet.

On the Russian side, Lavrov "stressed" to Blinken the "need to continue the joint work" on dialogue, including on "the set of issues raised by Russia with emphasis on the principle of indivisible security," according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Lavrov and Blinken also discussed "future exchanges at various levels," the Foreign Ministry added. The two are expected to speak again once that Russian response has been transmitted -- and possibly meet in person.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan and Tanya Stukalova


Biden won't announce new policy in remarks: White House

White House press secretary Jen Psaki emphasized in a tweet that President Joe Biden's remarks at 3:30 p.m. on Russia and Ukraine will "not announce new policy."

"He will speak about the situation on the ground, the steps we have taken, the actions we are prepared to take, what's at stake for the US and the world and how this may impact us at home," she said.

Biden's remarks will air on ABC News and ABC News Live.

Psaki is scheduled to hold a White House press briefing following Biden's remarks and amid skepticism as to whether Russia is choosing de-escalation and withdrawing troops from Ukraine's border as the Kremlin has claimed.


French government comments on Biden-Macron call

Officials at the 'Élysée Palace in Paris briefed reporters on Tuesday following a call between President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron that lasted a little over an hour.

While acknowledging Russian announcements and images claiming a partial troop withdrawal, French officials did not confirm that Russian forces had moved from the Ukrainian border but said that troop numbers "still need to be reduced."

"We found that we were in tune with our American partners," an official said. "The challenge is to assess the quality of the Russian announcements, concerning the end of a certain number of military maneuvers."

-ABC News'  Anna Rabemanantsoa