Axios

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with U.S. senators on a Zoom call Saturday to introduce an oil embargo on Russia and push Eastern European countries to provide Russian-made planes to his country, according to multiple sources on the call.

Why it matters: Zelensky claimed that an oil embargo would be the most significant sanction the U.S. could impose — more significant than disconnecting Russian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system, which Western countries agreed to do last week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday met with his Ukrainian counterpart on Poland's border to discuss Western efforts to support Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, Reuters reports.

Driving the news: "The entire world stands with Ukraine, just as I am standing here in Ukraine with my friend, my colleague," Blinken said, per Reuters.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Saturday secretly traveled to Moscow to discuss a possible cease-fire with Russian President Vladimir Putin, an Israeli official confirmed to Axios.

Why it matters: This is a highly unusual move by Bennett, who has been communicating in recent days with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Bennett briefed Zelensky by phone after Saturday's meeting.

The U.S. on Saturday approved a flight chartered by the Russian government to fly out Russian diplomats who had been expelled for abusing "their privileges of residency in the U.S.," Reuters reports.

Driving the news: "This special exception was done in accordance with federal regulations to ensure Russian mission personnel and their families departed by the date we had instructed," a State Department spokesperson said Saturday.

New efforts by the Kremlin to bully the press and silence dissent are forcing independent media and social networks out of the country.

Why it matters: Russians are losing access to independent reporting about the war, while the West loses insight into an already isolated leader.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is turning into a seismic event for the aviation industry just as it emerges from the COVID-19 downturn.

Why it matters: The closure of vast stretches of airspace from North America to Russia has airlines scrambling to determine what routes are still feasible and which flights can be rerouted. Flight times are increasing, along with their carbon footprints.

Russian customs has detained WNBA star Brittney Griner, according to a statement from the league and an Instagram post by the player's wife.

Driving the news: The alleged detention comes as tensions between Russia and the U.S. escalate after the invasion of Ukraine last week.

The U.S. State Department on Saturday reissued its travel advisory for Russia, urging U.S. citizens to depart the country immediately.

Driving the news: The State Department also provided updated information "on the currency situation and potential delays in consular notification and access to U.S. citizens detained in Russia."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Moscow will consider a declaration of Ukraine as a no-fly zone by any third-party as "participation in the armed conflict."

Driving the news: Russia would view "any move in this direction" as an intervention that "will pose a threat to our service members," Putin said Saturday, speaking at a meeting with female pilots, AP reports.

PayPal on Saturday shut down its services in Russia, citing "the current circumstances," according to a letter the CEO sent the Ukrainian government.

Driving the news: "PayPal supports the Ukrainian people and stands with the international community in condemning Russia's violent military aggression in Ukraine," president and CEO Dan Schulman said in the letter.

Russian officials said they want a written guarantee that sanctions related to its invasion of Ukraine will not impact the country's trade with Iran if the nuclear deal is restored, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Driving the news: The U.S. and Iran are close to reaching a deal to bring back the 2015 Iran nuclear pact, which would lift "most international sanctions on Iran in exchange for tight but temporary restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programs."

Russia's flagship airline, Aeroflot, said Saturday that it will halt all international flights except to Belarus beginning Tuesday, AP reports.

Driving the news: The move comes after the country’s aviation agency recommended that Russian airlines with foreign-leased planes suspend passenger and cargo flights abroad.

Shelling by Russian forces halted the civilian evacuations in two Ukrainian cities on Saturday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, AP reports.

Driving the news: The firing comes hours after the Russian Defense Ministry agreed on evacuation routes with Ukrainian forces for Mariupol, a strategic port in the southeast, and the eastern city of Volnovakha, per AP.

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Poland and Romania next week amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House said Friday.

Why it matters: Harris' overseas trip to Warsaw and Bucharest is intended to be a sign of U.S. support for NATO's eastern flank as Russian troops approach Kyiv, according to a White House statement.