Axios

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused NATO leadership of giving the "green light for further bombing of Ukrainian cities" by refusing at Friday's summit to establish a "no-fly" zone over Ukraine, saying those who oppose the move bear responsibility for civilian deaths going forward.

Why it matters: The furious new tone from Zelensky reflects his growing frustration with NATO's refusal to "close the sky" — a step he believes would change the trajectory of the war, but that NATO fears would spark a direct conflict with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for solidarity in a message broadcast to thousands of people gathered in cities across Europe on Friday.

Driving the news: Zelensky in the speech, which came a little over a week after Russia began its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, said that if Ukraine fell, "Europe will not stand."

Russian forces seized Europe's largest nuclear plant in an overnight assault that caused a fire at a nearby training facility, briefly raising fears of a nuclear disaster on top of the devastating humanitarian crisis already unfolding across Ukraine.

Driving the news: The fire has been extinguished and there are no signs of a radiation spike, according to Ukrainian and UN officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday will be a test of whether Russia is serious about establishing the "humanitarian corridors" that the two sides agreed to in Thursday's peace talks.

A new poll out Friday found for the first time that a majority of Swedes favor joining NATO as Russia's invasion of Ukraine escalates.

Driving the news: 51% of Swedes are in favor of joining NATO, up from 42% in January, according to a poll by Demoskop and commissioned by Aftonbladet newspaper.

Governors across the U.S. are instructing state agencies to cut financial ties with Russia amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The big picture: Dozens of states have taken steps to condemn Russia and join the federal government in supporting Ukrainians. Many have sought ways to take direct action to sanction the Russian government.

A learning platform founded by two Latinos is starting to make waves with TikTok-style lessons for high schoolers in the U.S.

Driving the news: Emile Learning offers high production, short and engaging videos for subscribers, modeled after the content young people consume.

Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor on Friday said it would block Facebook entirely, after partially restricting the social network a week ago.

Why it matters: Russia claims the decision of Facebook parent company Meta to restrict access to Russian state media accounts violated "fundamental human rights and freedoms, as well as the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens."

The State Department is asking the Ukrainian government to release Americans held in pre-trial detention in Kyiv, fearing for their safety as Russian forces continue their assault on the capital, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: With conditions growing more desperate by the day, any way out for these Americans is highly uncertain. Two former Marines the U.S. has said are wrongfully detained in Russia may also face additional danger as tensions with Moscow spiral.

The International Federation of Gymnastics announced Friday it will ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from participating in competitions starting next week.

Why it matters: It's the latest international sports federation to take measures against Russia and Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine.

In the wake of new Russia sanctions, users of some so-called decentralized finance apps and services in Iran and Venezuela found themselves unable to access their digital assets on Thursday.

Why it matters: In theory, Web3 is supposed to provide a safe haven from geopolitical concerns. But in practice, dApp users are finding there are limits to decentralization.

French luxury brand Hermès announced Friday that it will temporarily close all its stores in Russia, saying it was "deeply concerned by the situation in Europe."

The big picture: It's one of the first big luxury brands to announce such a move. Other businesses and companies worldwide have abandoned operations in Russia and condemned its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Cryptocurrencies have become a subplot in the Ukrainian horror story, in terms of both funding humanitarian efforts and potential sanctions avoidance.

Why it matters: This is the crypto industry's moment of truth.

A suicide bomber who targeted a Shiite mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Friday killed more than 55 people and injured at least 194, AP reports, citing hospital officials.

The big picture: The attack occurred as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers at Kucha Risaldar Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the city.

Microsoft will suspend all new sales of its products and services in Russia in response to the country's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the company announced Friday.

The big picture: Microsoft is the latest company to abandon Russia and condemn its attack on Ukraine, following financial sanctions imposed by governments in an effort to isolate it from the rest of the world.

The 2022 Paralympics Winter Games officially got underway in Beijing Friday.

The big picture: The Games — which end March 13 — come against the backdrop of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The International Paralympic Committee this week banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Paralympic Winter Games.

Prices for metals crucial to manufacturing — especially the auto industry — continued to soar.

Why it matters: This is part of the inflationary shock of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the world's response to it, which could disrupt supplies.

The UN Human Rights Council voted Friday to set up an independent international commission of inquiry to look into alleged Russian human rights violations in Ukraine, including possible war crimes.

The big picture: The council will set up a three-person commission that will be in charge of gathering and analyzing possible "evidence to ensure that perpetrators were held accountable."

Ukrainian officials said Friday they've extinguished a fire near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in southeastern Ukraine that ignited during shelling by Russian forces, but confirmed that Russia's military had "seized" the plant.

The latest: Energoatom, Ukraine’s nuclear power operator, said in a Telegram statement that the "administrative building and the checkpoint" at Europe's largest nuclear power station "are under occupiers' control."

Thousands of Russians are rushing to flee the country ahead of this weekend, as rumors swirl that Vladimir Putin could soon declare martial law, close the borders and crack down even harder on domestic dissent.

Why it matters: For as devastating as the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has become, widespread suffering is rapidly arriving at Russia's own doorstep.

Airbnb is "suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus," the home rental company's CEO Brian Chesky tweeted late Thursday.

What they're saying: Airbnb said in an emailed statement on Friday that the decision "means that we will block calendars from accepting new bookings in both countries until further notice."

Russian forces stepped up their assault on major Ukrainian population centers on Friday, appearing to capture the strategic southern port city of Kherson and turning to siege tactics elsewhere in the face of fierce resistance.

The latest: Russian troops have seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the southeast after hours of shelling that resulted in Ukrainian deaths and sparked a since-extinguished fire nearby, Ukrainian officials said. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian forces of "nuclear terror."

Google has suspended all online advertising in Russia, the tech giant announced on Thursday night.

Driving the news: The ban covers search, YouTube and outside publishing partners and builds on Google's move on Saturday to block Russian state media channels from selling ads the invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's invasion could destroy Ukraine's sovereignty or Vladimir Putin’s regime. The outlines of a solution that leaves both intact are murkier.

The big picture: Putin has failed to force a quick capitulation from Kyiv. Now, even if he ultimately succeeds in removing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he'll almost certainly face a prolonged, well-armed and motivated insurgency — a bad outcome for Russia and a worse one for Ukraine.

Russian soprano Anna Netrebko has withdrawn from her Metropolitan Opera performances after refusing to comply with the Met's condition that she repudiate public support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Met announced Thursday.

Why it matters: Netrebko, who has starred in multiple Met productions, has been linked to Putin for decades and endorsed his election in 2012, according to NPR. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, she has withdrawn or parted from several international opera houses.

Some swing voters say President Biden is taking the right stance by ratcheting up sanctions on Russia and keeping U.S. troops off the table — but some aren't sure Russian President Vladimir Putin would have invaded Ukraine at all if Donald Trump were still in office.

Driving the news: These were among the key takeaways from our latest Axios Engagious/Schlesinger swing voter focus groups, held Wednesday.

An agreement to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal could be just days away, with negotiators from Europe and Iran making clear that they've reached the final hurdles.

Driving the news: Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, will travel to Tehran on Saturday to try to resolve one of the remaining disputes: Iran's insistence that an investigation into its undeclared nuclear activity be dropped. The success of failure of Grossi's visit could determine the fate of the deal.