Axios

The U.S. has rejected a plan from the Polish government to deploy Poland's entire fleet of used MiG-29 fighter jets to a U.S. airbase in Germany, which would have given the U.S. the option to then transfer the Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine's military.

The latest: Pentagon press secretary John Kirby issued a statement Tuesday evening indicating that the Polish government had not consulted with the U.S. prior to its announcement.

Lumen, a leading internet provider in Russia, is cutting its ties in the country, the company announced Tuesday.

Why it matters: The ending of another internet provider's service there is likely to further isolate Russia from the rest of the digital world.

Airbnb has announced it has partnered with the United Nations to provide free short-term housing in Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia to refugees fleeing Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Why it matters: Over 2 million people from more than 100 countries have fled Ukraine in what the UN has called the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

An 11-year-old Ukrainian boy traveled to Slovakia with only a bag, passport and phone number, according to Slovakia's Interior Ministry.

Why it matters: This underscores the hardships Ukrainians are facing as more than 2 million people have now become refugees as a result of the war, according to statistics from the United Nations.

Starbucks is suspending all activity in Russia, the company's CEO said in a letter to staff on Tuesday.

Driving the news: Starbucks' decision to halt operations in Russia comes as the forces of Vladimir Putin continue their two-week invasion of Ukraine. It follows a similar decision announced earlier today by McDonald's and Coca-Cola.

Amazon Web Services is no longer accepting new customers in Russia and Belarus, the company announced Tuesday.

Driving the news: Amazon joins a slew of other companies curtailing their ties with Russia in the wake of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Latinas in the U.S. and Latin American women have helped shape history, but their contributions have often been forgotten.

Why it matters: On International Women's Day, Axios Latino is highlighting some of the women who transformed politics, labor, literature, and daily life, both in the U.S. and Latin America.

Coca-Cola is suspending operations in Russia in response to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the company said Tuesday.

Why it matters: Sanctions and divestment from the business community have increasingly isolated Russia from the rest of the world. Businesses operating there have a limited ability to collect revenue or pay workers and suppliers.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters Tuesday that Congress' aid package for Ukraine now totals $14 billion.

Why it matters: The figure is more than double what was initially floated by the Biden administration last month.

The ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine are at a critical juncture, Israeli officials said today.

Why it matters: Israel, which has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, is in a unique situation mediating between the countries.

McDonald's is temporarily closing all stores in Russia over strongman Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the chain announced Tuesday.

State of play: McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company will continue to pay its 62,000 Russian employees, but added that "it’s impossible to predict when we might be able to reopen our restaurants in Russia."

President Biden announced Tuesday that the U.S. will ban all imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal in response to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

What he's saying: "We will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war," Biden said. "The American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday became the first foreign leader to virtually address the U.K.'s House of Commons, where he channeled Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill while detailing Ukraine's experience under 13 days of Russian assault.

Why it matters: The U.K. has been among the leading suppliers of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as Zelensky recognized in his address. But his central plea — for the West to impose a "no-fly" zone over Ukraine — appears likely to go unanswered.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said Monday she will visit China, including the Xinjiang region, in May.

Why it matters: For years, Beijing has blocked visits by Bachelet and her predecessors. If the trip goes ahead, Bachelet would be the first U.N. high commissioner for human rights to visit China in 22 years, the New York Times notes.

Bloomberg and the BBC were the first news outlets to suspend their news operations in Russia after lawmakers approved legislation that threatens to imprison journalists and individuals for up to 15 years if they publish what Moscow deems to be "fake" information about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Why it matters: The new law will make it very hard for Western outlets to report factually from the ground on what's happening in Russia.

Russian companies and banks are turning to China's currency, the yuan (also known as the renminbi), as the doors to the U.S. dollar-based global financial system slam shut due to sanctions.

Why it matters: The sanctions on Russia "incrementally help internationalize the renminbi," James Fok, author of the book "Financial Cold War: A View of Sino-US Relations from the Financial Markets," told Axios.

The U.S. assesses with "low confidence" that between 2,000 and 4,000 Russian troops have been killed over the course of Vladimir Putin's 12-day war in Ukraine, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Scott Berrier testified Tuesday.

Why it matters: The estimated number of casualties is "far in excess" of what Russia anticipated or has publicly acknowledged, according to U.S. intelligence officials. Putin has still not achieved his initial goal — seizing Kyiv within two days — and may turn to more brutal tactics in the coming days and weeks.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that Russia's armed forces may be targeting civilians in Ukraine.

What he's saying: "There are very credible reports of civilians coming under fire as they try to evacuate. Targeting civilians is a war crime, and it is totally unacceptable," Stoltenberg said.

Shell said early Tuesday it will "withdraw from its involvement in all Russian hydrocarbons," including spot purchases of Russian crude oil.

Driving the news: The U.K.-based giant apologized for its recent buy of a Russian cargo at a steep discount.

"Any Russian who wanted to come here isn't going to come," said Liz Elliott, a real estate agent with Echo Fine Properties in Martin County, Florida, just north of Palm Beach. Already, a Russian client backed out of a deal she'd been working on.

Why it matters: Observers of the U.S. real estate market are watching to see how new economic sanctions — on oligarchs, but also on financial transactions involving money from Russian banks — will impact sales.

Russia's invasion means bread prices will soar in some of the world's poorest, most fragile countries, potentially igniting a cycle of instability.

Driving the news: Wheat prices shot to a record $12.94 per bushel, and are up an astonishing 70% over the last month, as measured by a type of futures contract on the Chicago Board of Trade.

The Chinese government is scrubbing the country’s media of sympathetic or accurate coverage of Ukraine and systematically amplifying pro-Putin talking points about Russia's invasion of Ukraine..

Why it matters: China’s wide use of its propaganda and censorship muscle helps insulate Beijing from a domestic backlash against its support for Putin— and leaves its citizens with an airbrushed, false version of events, similar to what’s seen in Putin’s state-controlled Russia.

A bipartisan group of senators is introducing a bill to prevent Russia from liquidating gold to withstand biting sanctions.

Why it matters: The sanctions against Russia have frozen the country's foreign exchange assets, but its stockpile of gold could be a lifeline. A measure to close the loophole is yet another indication Congress is looking to get ahead of the Biden administration on punitive measures against Russia.

A number of Black people living in Ukraine, many of them exchange students, report being blocked as they tried to board trains to escape the war.

Why it matters: The racist incidents — some documented on video, as the hashtag #AfricansInUkraine flooded Twitter — added individual agony to the desperate nationwide exodus.

The World Bank announced Monday a $723 million emergency financing package of loans and grants for Ukraine as the country battles the Russian military invasion.

By the numbers: This includes a $350 million loan supplement to an earlier World Bank loan, according to a statement from the financial institution.

Some 60,000 Sydney residents were under evacuation orders as heavy rains and flash flooding linked to climate change pummeled much of Australia's largest city on Tuesday, per Australian emergency services.

The big picture: The severe weather has lashed Australia's east coast since late last month, killing at least 20 people. An Australian Bureau of Meteorology official told a briefing Tuesday that Sydney faced a "tough" 48 hours due to heavy rains, and minor to major flooding was occurring from the state of Queensland's border to Victoria's.

Kendall Gretsch won a Beijing Winter Paralympic Games gold medal and U.S. teammate Oksana Masters silver in the 10km sitting biathlon event on Tuesday morning local time.

The big picture: 8.7 seconds separated Gretsch and Masters in the event, per NBC Sports. Gretsch also won gold in the Summer Paralympics triathlon in Tokyo six months ago. Gretsch now has two Beijing Paralympics medals and Masters has three.

Guantánamo Bay detainee Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani, 46, has been sent home to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon announced on Monday.

Why it matters: In 2021, a U.S. review board found that al-Qahtani's confinement, "was no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States."

Estée Lauder announced Monday it has "decided to suspend all commercial activity in Russia, including closing every store we own and operate, as well as our brand sites and shipments to any of our retailers in Russia."

Driving the news: The multinational makeup giant said in a statement it wanted to "stand with all those that are suffering, including our employees and their families and the people of Ukraine" following the Russian military invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky doubled down on his pledge to remain in Kyiv in a video message on Monday as he told the world: "I'm not hiding."

Why it matters: Zelensky has said from the beginning that he and his family will be prime targets. Ukrainian officials said last week that they were able to foil an assassination plot, but the Daily Beast reported that more attempts have been made since.

Efforts to push the Biden administration into supporting the transfer of Russian-made fighter jets to Ukraine appear doomed for both technical and geopolitical reasons.

Why it matters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for the jets on Saturday during a Zoom call with more than 300 members of Congress, saying they were badly needed if NATO wouldn't establish a "no-fly" zone.

Russia is now the world's most sanctioned country, after other nations responded to its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine with sanctions.

By the numbers: Russia has faced 2,778 new sanctions in just under two weeks, according to the Castellum.AI dashboard, which tracks sanctions against Russia.

Vladimir Putin likely won't be able to take Kyiv without destroying much of the city and subjecting its population to a brutal siege, military analysts say. But Putin has a track record of doing just that.

Why it matters: U.S. and Ukrainian officials believe that Putin's primary focus remains on Kyiv, even after his plans to swiftly take the city and force a capitulation from the government were thwarted. The city's defenders — soldiers and civilians alike — are very hostile to the invaders and bracing for a fight.

SK Group is pouring $100 million into 8 Rivers Capital, which bills itself as “a full-service Net Zero solutions provider.” The move will also establish an 8 Rivers-SK joint venture that will focus on decarbonization in South Korea and other Asian markets.

Why it matters: The announcement reflects how major corporations are willing to spend big to find ways to decarbonize beyond renewables and storage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is comparing Russia's invasion to Nazi Germany's campaign of oppression in a plea to American Jews as he continues to press the West for stronger military assistance and a no-fly zone, Reuters reports.

What he's saying: "This is just a pure Nazi behavior. I can't even qualify this in any different manner," Zelensky said on a Monday call with the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations, per Reuters.