1/ Biden banned all imports of oil and natural gas from Russia, punishing Russia for its “vicious war of choice” in Ukraine. “The United States is targeting the main artery of Russia’s economy,” Biden said. “We will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war.” Biden, however, warned that the decision would mean higher prices for energy and at the gas pump, saying “defending freedom is going to cost […] It’s going to cost us as well, in the United States.” 79% of Americans, meanwhile, said they favored a ban on Russian oil imports even if it increased energy prices in the U.S., while 13% said they opposed it. The U.S. move was matched in part by the U.K., which announced that it’ll phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022. The European Union also took steps to scale back imports of Russian energy by approximately two-thirds this year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, said the House plans to vote today on legislation to ban U.S. imports of Russian fossil fuels, calling it “an urgent imperative – both morally and for our security interests.” In addition to banning Russian oil, the bill would empower Biden to impose tariffs on other Russian products, take steps to suspend Russia from the World Trade Organization, and reauthorize and strengthen the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows the U.S. to impose sanctions on countries in response to human rights abuses. (Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Associated Press / CNN / CNBC / NPR)

2/ Poland offered to transfer all of its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets “immediately and free of charge” to a U....

1/ A bipartisan group of lawmakers reached a deal to ban the import of Russian energy and suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The bill also provides Biden with the authority to increase tariffs on both countries, and would require the U.S. trade representative to seek the suspension of Russia’s participation in the World Trade Organization, as well as try to halt Belarus’s attempt to join the global trade organization. It’s unclear, however, if Biden would sign the legislation if it reaches his desk. Over the weekend, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he “would support” a ban on Russian oil imports. The prospect of Russian energy sanctions sent oil prices to a 14-year high, with the average national gasoline price exceeding $4 a gallon. Putin, meanwhile, told a group of Aeroflot flight attendants that Western sanctions on Russia were “akin to a declaration of war.” (New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Politico)

2/ The Biden administration has discussed a possible deal to send Poland’s Soviet-era MiG fighter jets to Ukraine. In exchange, the U.S. would replace Poland’s planes with American-made F-16s. Ukraine’s government is interested in the old planes because the country’s military pilots already know how to fly them. Putin, however, warned that Moscow would view any Western attempts to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine as “participating in the armed conflict” against Russia. Separately, nearly all of the troops Russia amassed on Ukraine’s border are now fighting inside the country and the U.S. doesn’t believe that Russia is “preparing to move additional battalion tactical groups from elsewhere in the country to shore up what they’ve put into Ukraine.” Instead, Moscow is reportedly recruiting Syrians skilled in urban combat to fight in Ukraine. (New York Times / NBC News /

1/ The House select committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection says Trump violated multiple laws in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election. In a major release of its findings filed in federal court late Wednesday, the committee alleges that Trump and his allies “engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States” and that Trump himself violated multiple laws by trying to block Congress from certifying the results of the election. In 16 accompanying exhibits, the panel showcased testimony it received from key figures in Trump-world. The release of the findings is part of a legal effort to force John Eastman, a Trump attorney who played a crucial role in crafting Trump’s strategy to subvert the 2020 election, to turn over thousands of emails that the committee believes connect various elements of the scheme. Eastman says turning over the emails would violate attorney-client privilege, but the panel says Eastman’s privilege claim was potentially voided by the “crime/fraud exception,” which says communications aren’t protected if an attorney is found to be assisting their client in the commission of a crime. The committee has no authority to initiate criminal proceedings. (Politico / CNN / Washington Post / Associated Press / NBC News)

2/ Trump’s former Attorney General William Barr said Trump became enraged after he was told his claims of election fraud were nonsense. Barr says Trump asked him to attend a meeting in Trump’s private dining room in the White House on Dec. 1, after the Associated Pres published an interview in which Barr said there was no evidence of any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. During the meeting, Trump “was asking about different theories, and I had the answers. I was able to tell him, ‘This was wrong because of this,’” Barr said. Barr says he offered to resign because Trump was “obviously getting very angry about this,” and Trump slammed his hand on the table and accepted Barr’s offer. Barr added: “And then — boom. He slapped it again. ‘Accepted. Go home. Don’t go back to your office. Go home. You’re done.’” Barr is publishing a forthcoming book about his tenure in the Trump administration. (NBC News)

3/ Biden accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of “government overreach at its worst” for investigating the parents of trans children going through the gender confirmation process. “Like so many anti-transgender attacks proliferating in states across the country,” Biden said, Abbott’s actions “callously threaten to harm children and their families just to score political points.” Biden also said his administration is taking steps to protect transgender children in Texas, including inviting families to contact the civil rights office at Health and Human Services if they’ve been “targeted by a child welfare investigation because of this discriminatory gubernatorial order.” (Washington Post)

4/ The White House imposed new sanctions against eight Russian oligarchs and members of their families. Biden said the new sanctions are in response to Russia’s escalation and in...

1/ During his first State of the Union speech, Biden condemned President Vladimir Putin, called on the world to support Ukraine, and made his case to Americans that his administration is working to overcome the coronavirus pandemic and return to a time of prosperity and normalcy. The first half of the hourlong speech focused on the war in Europe, while the second half was mostly about Biden’s domestic agenda. Biden said Putin “badly miscalculated” when he invaded Ukraine, and that he would make Putin “pay a price” for attacking Russia’s neighbor. “He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over,” Biden said. “Instead, he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined. He met the Ukrainian people.” There were several instances of bipartisan applause throughout the speech, but also moments where members of the GOP — Reps. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene — interrupted or heckled Biden, including while Biden was reflecting on the life of his late son, Beau. Biden also renewed his calls for Congress to pass pieces of the failed “Build Back Better” domestic policy agenda, including expanded child care, elder care, prekindergarten education, climate change initiatives and prescription-drug price cuts. (New York Times / Rolling Stone / Daily Beast / New York Times / NPR / The Independent / Washington Post)

2/ Biden announced a new task force to go after the U.S.-based assets of Russian oligarchs. The task force, dubbed Task Force KleptoCapture, will seize yachts, luxury apartments, and other vestiges of wealth parked in the U.S. by Russian billionaires. “We are coming for your ill-begotten gains,” Biden said during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday. Biden also announced that the U.S. will close its skies to Russian aircraft in response to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the U.S. is expected to announce new sanctions against Putin’s financial allies in the coming days. (CNBC / Reuters / Washington Post / Business Insider / NBC News)

3/ Biden declared that his administration has a new plan for a pandemic reset, and that it’s time to stop letting COVID-19 “dictate how we live.” Biden pointed to the wide availability of vaccines, treatments and tests, and vowed that the country is moving toward “more normal routines.” He also touted a new “test to treat” plan that would see local pharmacies provide free antiviral pills to people wh...

1/ Russian forces bombed Ukraine’s second-largest city and closed in on the capital on Monday. A 40-mile convoy consisting of hundreds of tanks and other vehicles moved on the capital Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, shelling a residential neighborhood and forcing Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to considering making some concessions. The Kremlin also threatened the prospect of using nuclear weapons for the second day in a row, announcing that its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and long-range bombers had all been put on high alert. (Associated Press)

2/ U.S. intelligence agencies say they’re worried Putin may escalate the invasion of Ukraine as he becomes increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress by Russian forces. U.S. officials say they have solid intelligence that Putin is directing unusual bursts of anger at people in his inner circle over the state of the military campaign, adding that they “don’t believe he has a realistic understanding of what’s going on.” (NBC News)

3/ Trump claimed “there would be no NATO” without him, despite the fact that his “America First” foreign policies often involved pulling back from U.S. allies, undermining NATO, and threatening to withhold military aide from Ukraine. Nevertheless, Trump attempted to take credit for strengthening NATO and arming Ukraine’s military with advanced weaponry. “I hope everyone is able to remember that it was me, as President of the United States, that got delinquent NATO members to start paying their dues, which amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars,” Trump said in a statement. He added: “Also, it was me that got Ukraine the very effective anti-tank busters (Javelins) when the previous Administration was sending blankets. Let History so note!” (ABC News / The Independent)

4/ Biden declined to invoke executive privilege for former Trump officials Michael Flynn and Peter Navarro to shield them from testifying before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. The move will likely force Flynn and Navarro to choose between cooperating with the select committee or face a potential criminal referral from Congress. Navarro says he will take his case all the way to the Supreme Court, while Flynn’s attorney insisted that his client has not asserted executive privilege or refused to appear for a deposition in front of the committee. (Axios / Washington Post)

5/ Biden will give his first State of the Union speech tonight — and he plans to focus on Ukraine, the economy, COVID-19, and more. The speech comes just days after Russia invaded Ukraine and days after Biden nominated the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. Ukrainian president Zelensky urged Biden to deliver a strong and “useful” message about the Russian invasion and to highlight the urgency and implications of the invasion for the Ukrainian people and the rest of the world. Editor’s note: Look for more details about Biden’s first SOTU speech in tomorrow’s update. (ABC News /

1/ The Biden administration expanded sanctions against Russia, cutting off U.S. transactions with the country’s central bank. The new sanctions effectively prohibit Americans from doing any business with Russia’s central bank as well as freezes its assets within the United States. The new measures also target the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. (CNBC / CNN)

2/ Russia is facing a financial meltdown as U.S. sanctions eat away at its economy. Putin held crisis talks with his top economic advisers after the ruble crashed to a record low against the U.S. dollar, the Russian central bank more than doubled interest rates to 20%, and the Moscow stock exchange was shuttered for the day in response to crushing Western sanctions imposed over the weekend as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (CNN)

3/ The U.S. will expel 12 Russian U.N. diplomats, accusing them of “espionage activities,” as Russia continues its attack on Ukraine. The State Department announced the expulsion in the hours after Moscow began its bombardment and invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s Ambassador to the U.N. responded by saying that Mills’ explanation for the expulsions was “not satisfactory.” (CNN)

4/ The California “freedom convoy” that was headed to Washington, DC disbanded after just one day. The convoy was expecting up to 2,000 truckers prior to its departure from Los Angeles on Friday, but it ultimately disbanded and cancelled all associated rallies on Saturday after only five rigs arrived in Las Vegas. (The Independent)

5/ Two Republican members of Congress participated in a white nationalist’s conference — and Mitt Romney called them “morons.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul A. Gosar attended and spoke at the event. Marjorie Taylor Green later defended attending the conference, which was organized by white nationalist Nick Fuentes, saying she didn’t know he had promoted white-nationalist ideas. (Washington Post)

6/ Trump appealed a ruling that would force him to testify in the New York Attorney General’s probe into his business. Lawyers for Trump and his two oldest children — Ivanka and Don Jr. — filed papers on Monday with the appellate division of the state’s trial court, seeking to overturn Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 17 ruling. They argued that ordering the Trumps to testify violates their constitutional rights because their answers could be used in a parallel criminal investigation. (Associated Press)

poll/ 83% of Americans said they favored increased economic sanctions against Russia in response to the invasion, while 17% were opposed. 62% want to see the U.S. do more to stop Russian military action in Ukraine, while 38% say the country has already done enough. (CNN)

1/ Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine along three main fronts, marking the biggest land war in Europe since World War II. In televised remarks, Putin announced the start of a “special military operation” in Ukraine, adding that his goal was to “demilitarize” but not occupy the country. Putin blamed Ukraine for the crisis and reiterated its demands to NATO that Ukraine is never allowed to join the transatlantic defense alliance. Minutes later, Russia began bombing Ukraine by air, land, and sea using 75 heavy and medium bombers and more than 160 missiles of various types. Biden condemned the “premeditated war,” saying “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.” Putin, casting aside international condemnation and sanctions, warned other countries not to interfere, saying “whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people, must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to the consequences you have never seen in history.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared a state of emergency and called on Ukrainians to take up arms in defense. Western intelligence officials, meanwhile, expect Kyiv may fall to Russian forces within hours. The Pentagon ordered approximately 7,000 additional U.S. soldiers to Germany. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Associated Press / NBC News / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg)

2/ Biden condemned “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine,” announcing a second, larger package of “severe sanctions” intended to cripple Russia’s economy, military, and elites. Biden said Putin’s aggression “cannot go unanswered” and in response his administration would cut off Russia’s largest banks and companies from the western financial markets, freeze trillions of dollars in Russian assets, and restrict exports of technology to Russia. “Putin’s aggression in Ukraine will end up costing Russia dearly, economically and strategically,” Biden said. “We will make sure that Putin will be a pariah on the international stage.” The Treasury Department said the sanct...

1/ The Pentagon said 80% of the 190,000 Russian troops near Ukraine are now in combat-ready positions, suggesting that an invasion is most likely imminent. “They are literally ready to go now,” a senior defense official said. “It is our assessment that [Putin] is fully prepared to conduct a large-scale invasion,” adding: “That is a likely option.” The Ukrainian government, meanwhile, said it received intelligence that a Russian military offensive, including an attack on the capital, Kyiv, could come as soon as Wednesday night. Ukraine’s parliament voted to declare a state of emergency, and government leaders urged Ukrainian citizens to leave Russia immediately. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Biden said he would issue economic sanctions on the company building the gas pipeline connecting Russia to Germany. The move comes a day after Germany froze certification of the Kremlin-backed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “These steps are another piece of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. As I have made clear, we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate,” Biden said in a statement. The move also reverses Biden’s decision last year to waive sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG, the company that built the $11 billion natural gas pipeline. (CNN / Politico / Axios / Bloomberg / New York Times)

3/ Two prosecutors leading the Manhattan District Attorney’s criminal probe into Trump and his business resigned from their positions. The resignation of Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz came following a monthlong pause in the presentation of evidence to a grand jury. The Manhattan district attorney’s office also changed hands in January, after the previous DA, Cyrus Vance, opted to not seek re-election. Vance was succeeded by Alvin Bragg, who reportedly has expressed doubts about moving forward with a case against Trump. The grand jury’s term expires in April. Separately, Trump’s longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, asked a judge to throw out tax fraud charges against him, arguing that New York prosecutors targeted him as punishment because he wouldn’t flip on Trump. (

1/ Biden announced “the first tranche” of new sanctions against Russia after Putin ordered troops into two Moscow-backed breakaway regions in Ukraine to carry out what Putin called “peacekeeping functions.” The sanctions, aimed at punishing Russia for “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine,” would effectively cut off Russia from Western financing, and target Russian elites and their family in an effort to make sure people close to Putin “share the pain.” Biden condemned Putin’s “bizarre” recognition of two separatist “republics” in eastern Ukraine, warning that Putin is “setting up a rationale to take more territory by force.” Biden also announced that he was moving additional troops and equipment to “strengthen” U.S. allies in the Baltics, but made clear they would not be there to “fight Russia.” (NBC News / Politico / CNN / Bloomberg / New York Times / Axios / Washington Post / CNBC / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, saying “it does not make sense” in light of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Blinken had agreed to meet with Lavrov only if Russia did not invade Ukraine. “Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy,” Blinken said, adding that the U.S. would continue to pursue diplomacy if Russia takes “demonstrable steps to provide the international community with any degree of confidence that it is serious about de-escalating and finding a diplomatic solution.” (CNN / Axios / New York Times / Yahoo News)

3/ The three white men convicted on state charges in Georgia for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery were also found guilty of federal hate crimes. A federal jury has found Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor William Bryan guilty of hate crimes and attempted kidnapping when they chased and killed Arbery. The McMichaels were also guilty of one count each of the use of a firearm to commit a crime. All three men had been convicted of state murder charges earlier this year and sentenced to life in prison, with Bryan eligible for parole after 30 years. The three now face up to life in prison for the federal crimes, ensuring that the defendants will receive significant prison time even if their state convictions are overturned or sentences reduced on appeal. (

1/ Biden warned that “every indication” is that Putin will carry out an invasion of Ukraine “in the next several days.” Biden, maintaining there was a “diplomatic path” that avoids conflict, said the threat of a Russian invasion was “very high” and that the U.S. and its allies “have reason to believe that they are engaged in a false flag operation to have an excuse to go in.” Biden’s comments came after Ukraine said Russian-backed separatists were responsible for “a big provocation” after artillery shells hit a kindergarten in eastern Ukraine. The separatists accused the Ukrainians of staging the attack – the sort of incident the U.S. has warned Russia might try to use to create “an invented justification for war.” Despite earlier reports that Putin may be pulling some troops back, U.S. officials said they believe Moscow has instead increased its troop presence to some 150,000 along the Ukrainian border – with 7,000 new troops arriving in recent days. Russia, meanwhile, denied that it intends to invade Ukraine, dismissing the reports as “hysteria.” (NBC News / New York Times / Politico / ABC News / Associated Press / CNN / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Trump, Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump must testify in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s civil probe of the Trump Organization, a state judge ruled. New York judge Arthur Engoron rejected their request to block James’s subpoenas for testimony and related documents, ordering the three to appear for depositions within 21 days. Trump was also ordered to comply with a subpoena for documents and other information within 14 days. James is investigating whether the Trump Organization inflated the valuations of real estate assets to obtain loans and tax benefits. In court filings, James has said her office has “uncovered substantial evidence establishing numerous misrepresentations in Trump’s financial statements provided to banks, insurers, and the Internal Revenue Service.” In February, Trump’s longtime accounting firm ended its relationship with the company and warned that financial statements from 2011 to 2020 “should no longer be relied upon.” Trump’s lawyers indicated that they would appeal the decision. (NBC News / NPR / Associated Press / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg /