Axios

The Biden administration asked Congress to provide $6.4 billion in funding to assist Ukraine as it fights off Russia's advances, an administration official confirmed to Axios on Friday.

Driving the news: $2.9 billion would go toward security assistance, humanitarian aid, economic stabilization needs, and regional efforts to combat Russian cyberattacks, among other things. The administration is also seeking $3.5 billion for the Pentagon's response to the crisis.

Washington lobbying firms are dropping high-profile Russian clients targeted by U.S. sanctions this week, as restrictions limit business with those companies.

The big picture: So far, seven U.S. lobbying and PR firms have parted ways with 10 different clients in the wake of punitive U.S. measures designed to punish Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to filings, statements and interviews with the firms.

More than 50,000 Ukrainians have fled their country in less than 48 hours and "many more are moving towards" Ukraine's borders, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday.

Driving the news: A majority of those displaced fled to Poland and Moldova, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted Friday.

China's Foreign Ministry on Friday stressed that Beijing believes the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries" should be respected — a principle that "applies equally to Ukraine."

Why it matters: Reiterating that Russia's "legitimate security demands" on NATO expansion "should be taken seriously and properly addressed," the statement marks China's most extensive one yet on Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The European Union and United Kingdom have frozen the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as part of a new tranche of sanctions punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Why it matters: The moves reflect Moscow's new pariah status but are mostly symbolic, as it's unclear what assets Putin and Lavrov actually hold in the West after years of escalating sanctions against Russia.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Friday that the alliance has activated elements of the 40,000-troop NATO Response Force (NRF) for the first time, warning at a press conference: "The Kremlin's objectives are not limited to Ukraine."

Why it matters: Stoltenberg has called Russia's invasion of Ukraine "the most serious security crisis we have faced in Europe for decades." The NRF will deploy "on land, at sea, and in the air" in eastern Europe for the purposes of collective defense.

Ukraine's Ministry of Energy said Friday that Russian forces are not allowing detained staff to rotate out at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, breaking safety rules and jeopardizing the "security of the entire European continent."

Driving the news: "The capture of the station and the conduct of any military action there threatens to repeat the scenario of the second Chernobyl accident, from which Europe is still recovering," the ministry wrote in a statement.

The European Broadcasting Union announced Friday that Russia will not be able to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in May due to the "unprecedented crisis" in Ukraine.

Why it matters: The ban marks a swift reversal from Eurovision's organizers, who said Thursday that they would allow a Russian act to participate in the contest despite the country's invasion of Ukraine because it is a "non-political cultural event."

Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has further inflamed Russia's already damaged relationship with the United States in space and could "destroy" their cooperation on the International Space Station, the director general of Russia's state-run space agency threatened Thursday.

Why it matters: The U.S. and Russia have collaborated in space through the ISS for decades, and it has been one of the relatively stable areas of the two countries' relations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told EU leaders "this might be the last time you see me alive" during a video conference on Thursday night, two European sources briefed on the call tell Axios.

State of play: The Pentagon has warned that Russia's primary aim appears to be to encircle Kyiv and "decapitate" its government. Meanwhile Zelensky said Thursday that Russian "sabotage forces" were in Kyiv and hunting for him and his family.

Russian forces entered Kyiv from the north on Friday as fighting continues across Ukraine on the second day of Russia's invasion.

State of play: Ukraine's Ministry of Defense is urging citizens to report the movements of Russian equipment and make Molotov cocktails to defend against advancing Russian forces. The ministry said Russian troops were in the Obolon district of northern Kyiv.

U.S. officials tried half a dozen times over three months to get China to help head off a Russian invasion of Ukraine — but were repeatedly rebuffed by Beijing, The New York Times reports.

Why it matters: The U.S. kept presenting Beijing with intelligence on Russia's buildup around Ukraine "and beseeched the Chinese to tell Russia not to invade," according to The Times. The Chinese, including the foreign minister and the ambassador to the U.S., said they did not think an invasion was in the works.

An Olympic gold medalist serving as Ukraine's first Black member of parliament is urging fellow countrymen to resist the Russian invasion, highlighting the nation's vulnerable but little-known African Ukrainian population.

The big picture: Zhan Beleniuk has spoken openly about racism he's faced in Ukraine after bringing home the Greco-Roman middleweight gold last year in the Tokyo games. But experts say he and other Black Ukrainians are expressing their loyalty to the country amid fears they could become special targets for Russian occupiers.

Russian forces stepped up their invasion of Ukraine by pressing the outskirts of Kyiv and attacking other key Ukrainian cities on Friday.

The big picture: Russia's assault on Ukraine that's killed dozens of civilians and Ukrainian soldiers and forced tens of thousands to flee the country is coming from the north, east and south, according to multiple reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday accused Russian forces of launching rocket attacks targeting civilian areas in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine.

The latest: Zelensky said in a televised address that Russia's claim that it doesn't target civilians is "a lie," per a transcript. "They do not distinguish in which areas to operate," he added. "Russia's attack continues with the expectation that our forces will be tired. But no one is tired."

As Ukraine mobilizes to fight off Russian forces, Ukrainians are struggling to seek safety and, if able and allowed, rushing to evacuate under martial law.

The big picture: The Russian military's large-scale invasion has already killed dozens of civilians in Ukraine and at least 137 Ukrainian soldiers. About 100,000 Ukrainians have fled their homes as of this evening, according to the United Nations.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has triggered widespread outrage, including in Moscow where monitoring groups said police had detained hundreds of protesters on Thursday.

The big picture: As governments around the world announced fresh sanctions in response to Russia's unprovoked assault, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in cities around the world to protest — many outside Russian embassies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has set his sights on other countries in addition to Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS News on Thursday evening.

Driving the news: The Russian military stepped up its bombing campaign against Ukraine on Thursday, killing dozens of civilians and Ukrainian soldiers.

The sanctions aimed at punishing Russia's invasion of Ukraine will likely face a self-inflicted obstacle, experts tell Axios: opaque financial vehicles allowing illicit foreign assets to flow through Western economies.

Why it matters: Financial transparency advocates have warned for years that lax disclosure of such transfers allows malicious foreign actors to hide their immense wealth. Now, it could imperil U.S. efforts to inflict pain on individual Kremlin officials behind the country's attack on its western neighbor.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told House lawmakers Thursday the Biden administration is considering ways to train Ukrainian forces remotely if the Russians seize control of Ukraine, officials on the call told Axios.

Why it matters: With the capital of Kyiv in danger of falling after Russia's invasion, the Pentagon is contemplating the next phase of the conflict.