Ukraine's allies pledge fresh aid as Kyiv marks one year of war and 'invincibility'

Former Vice President Mike Pence said there can be "no room" in the Republican Party's leadership for "apologists" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Pence, a possible 2024 Republican presidential candidate, made that declaration while delivering a full-throated call for the U.S. to ramp up its support for Ukraine.

"While some in my party have taken a somewhat different view, let me be clear: There can be no room in the leadership of the Republican Party for apologists for Putin," Pence said in a speech marking the one-year anniversary of the conflict.

"There can only be room for champions of freedom," he said.

Pence, who served in the White House for four years under former President Donald Trump, did not call out any of his fellow Republicans by name.

In an interview earlier Friday, Trump boasted that he was "tougher on Russia than anybody else," but added, "I still got along with Putin."

Pence also took a shot at President Joe Biden's administration for being too hesitant to provide Ukraine with the supplies it needs to keep up the fight.

— Kevin Breuninger

If China goes ahead with reported plans to send lethal weapons aid to Russia, that "would be a game changer" in the bilateral relationship between Washington and Beijing, said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Thomas-Greenfield is the latest U.S. official to sound the alarm this week, after intelligence showed China was leaning towards providing the battered Russian army with drones and potentially ammunition.

"We've made clear that that is unacceptable, that [China] cannot engage in with the aggressor on this war. And Russia is the aggressor," Thomas-Greenfield told NBC News' Andrea Mitchell.

She said the same message was delivered "from President Biden to President Xi," and from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the recent Munich Security Conference.

On Thursday, Beijing released what it called a 12-point peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine war. It calls for negotiations toward a ceasefire and the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia.

Thomas-Greenfield was skeptical of the plan, and of Beijing's broader goals.

"If China is truly interested in peace, they have to act and behave like a country that wants peace," she said.

— Christina Wilkie

The International Financial Action Task Force, the international standard-setting entity on illicit finance, has suspended Russia from its membership, the U.S. Treasury Department announced.

The decision, made on the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is the first time in the task force's 34-year history that it has taken such an extreme measure.

In a statement, the task force said Russia's "gross violation of the commitment to international cooperation" and its failure to implement task force standards with mutual respect and international cooperation factored into its decision to suspend the nation's membership.

The group said Russia will remain accountable for its obligation to meet FATF standards, must continue to meet financial obligations and will retain membership to the global network as an active member of the Eurasian Group on Money Laundering.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen praised the group's decision.

"Russia's disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is at odds with the FATF's foundational values of international cooperation and the rule of law," Yellen said in a statement. "Further, Russia's dealings with suppliers of last resort such as Iran and North Korea, its government-driven efforts to evade international sanctions and export controls, and other activities like harboring cybercriminals or the Wagner Group make it a haven for illicit finance – the very thing the FATF works to combat."

—Chelsey Cox

One ship carrying about 12,500 metric tons of grain and other food products left Ukraine's Chornomorsk port, the organization overseeing the export of agriculture from the country said.

The ship is destined for Romania and is carrying sunflower oil.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered in July among Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, eased Russia's naval blockade and saw three key Ukrainian ports reopen.

So far, more than 700 ships have sailed from Ukrainian ports.

— Amanda Macias

The Justice Department has filed civil asset forfeiture claims against six luxury properties in the United States that are owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.

Valued at $75 million in total, they include a duplex at 515 Park Avenue in Manhattan, a 9,000-square foot weekend house in Southampton, New York, and two luxury beachfront condominiums on Fisher Island, an exclusive enclave of Miami Beach, Florida.

According to DOJ, the properties were purchased between 2008 and 2017 by shell companies controlled by Vekselberg, the billionaire chairman of the Renova Group, a Russian metals conglomerate.

After Vekselberg was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2018 over his Kremlin ties, he relied on these shell companies and a network of middlemen to evade the sanctions and continue to spend millions maintaining his U.S. real estate.

"For years, Russia's weaponization of corruption has relied on opaque legal structures – and Western enablers – to move, hide, and spend stolen wealth, enriching its oligarchs and ultimately resourcing the war in the Ukraine," said Homeland Security Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vekselberg's 255-foot yacht was seized by Spanish officials. Weeks later, federal prosecutors in Florida served a subpoena to longtime Vekselberg associate Viktor Voronchenko, seeking records related to the real estate. One week later, Voronchenko flew to Dubai and then to Moscow. He has not returned to the U.S.

These actions are part of a broad effort by American law enforcement officers, said Arvelo, who have spent the last year working "tirelessly to cut Russia's elites and their assets out of the American financial system."

"Today we continue our active measures and remove jewels from the crown of yet another oligarch, stripping him of the luxury assets he so cherishes," said Arvelo.

— Christina Wilkie

The Department of Homeland Security said that more than 271,000 Ukrainian refugees have been admitted to the U.S. since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started one year ago.

President Joe Biden had originally set a goal of admitting 100,000 Ukrainians.

More than 117,000, of those who were admitted came via the Biden administration's "Uniting for Ukraine" program, which allows U.S. citizens to sponsor Ukrainians. The Department of Homeland Security said more than 200,000 Americans offered to be sponsors.

Read the full story by NBC News here.

— Amanda Macias

The White House said new U.S. intelligence indicates that Iran has expanded its support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

"In November, Iran shipped artillery and tank rounds to Russia for use in Ukraine. Russia is planning to cooperate with Iran to obtain more military equipment in return," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on a call with reporters.

Kirby added that Iran is "seeking billions of dollars" of Russian military equipment.

"We believe that Russia might provide Iran with fighter jets. Iran is also seeking to purchase additional military equipment from Russia including attack helicopters, radars and combat trainer aircraft," he added.

In January, the Biden administration announced a slew of fresh sanctions and additional measures targeting Iran's aviation and defense sector.

— Amanda Macias

Editor's note: The following article contains graphic photos of dead bodies.

In the predawn hours of Feb. 24, the long-feared Russian invasion of Ukraine began. The now yearlong war has become the largest air, sea and ground assault in Europe since World War II.

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 8,000 civilians and led to nearly 13,300 injuries. More than 8 million people have left the war-weary country since the invasion, in what has become the greatest exodus of refugees that Europe has witnessed since World War II.

Over the past year, Western weapons have poured into Ukraine in one of the world's largest arms transfers, and allies have imposed rounds of coordinated international sanctions against Russia.

Read the full story here.

— Amanda Macias

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people for "bravery, patriotism and valor" displayed during one year of invasion by Russian forces.

"One year ago, Vladimir Putin committed his greatest mistake by underestimating the resolve of Ukraine," Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement released on the anniversary of the start of the war.

"Since then, we have seen bravery, patriotism, and valor personified by President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people," he added.

Schumer said he was proud to lead the Senate in delivering $113 billion in military, economic and humanitarian aid to the embattled country.

"Now, and for as long as it takes, the United States stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine," he said.

—Chelsey Cox

A Russian national illegally smuggled dozens of devices used in counterintelligence operations out of the U.S. and into the hands of the Russian and North Korean governments, according to a new federal indictment.

Ilya Balakaev, a 47-year-old Moscow resident, cultivated a network of people in the U.S. to help him buy equipment that was then used to repair devices used by Russia's intelligence agency, known as the FSB, prosecutors alleged in federal court in Brooklyn.

Balakaev purchased about 43 spectrum analyzers and signal generators in the U.S. as part of at least 10 contracts with an FSB military unit that is "responsible for Russia's communication security and cryptology," prosecutors said in a press release. Balakaev is also accused of providing U.S. hazardous gas detectors to a North Korean government official, violating sanctions against the DPRK.

"The devices BALAKAEV purchased, repaired and sold to the FSB and DPRK were items commonly used as part of sensitive foreign counterintelligence and military operations, including to scan a room to determine if it was bugged, to transmit encrypted communications and to detect hazardous gases," the indictment alleged.

Balakaev is charged in a five-count indictment with conspiring to defraud the United States and violate sanctions under the Export Control Reform Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. If convicted, Balakaev faces a maximum of 75 years in prison, according to the Department of Justice.

The indictment against Balakaev was one of two cases made public Friday by the DOJ's task force "KleptoCapture," which was launched last year to slap sanctions on Russian oligarchs in response to the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. In the other case, prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of six luxury U.S. properties owned by billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, reportedly a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The cases are part of the U.S. effort "to disrupt sanctions evasion and smuggling networks supporting the Russian regime," the DOJ said in a press release.

— Kevin Breuninger

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen marked her first in-person meeting with Jeremy Hunt, United Kingdom chancellor of the Exchequer, by underlining joint efforts between the U.S. and U.K. governments to hinder Russia's war in Ukraine.

"We are continuing to impose significant costs on Russia for its illegal war against Ukraine, including through additional sanctions measures," Yellen said in India, where G-20 finance ministers are currently meeting. "Our global coalition is working relentlessly to disrupt Russian military supply chains, limit the Kremlin's revenue, and make it harder for them to use the money they have to source military equipment from abroad."

Yellen committed to cracking down on attempts to evade global sanctions sanctions, said a coordinated price cap on Russian oil is reducing Russia's revenue.

"Russian tax revenue from energy and gas was down 46% in January. That means we are effectively hitting their most important source of revenue," Yellen said.

The Treasury Secretary finished by urging the International Monetary Fund to work with Ukraine to produce a fully-funded IMF program by the end of March.

—Chelsey Cox

The U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell used the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion to make the case for why the U.S. must continue to arm the Ukrainian war effort.

"It is not an act of charity for the United States and our NATO allies to help supply the Ukrainian people's self-defense. It is a direct investment in our own core national interests," McConnell said in a statement.

"America is a world power with worldwide interests. Our security and prosperity are deeply intertwined with a secure and stable Europe," he said.

After a year during which Congress showed unanimous support for passing massive financial and military aid packages for Ukraine, a bloc of far-right Republicans in the House has recently begun to oppose maintaining this support for Ukraine at the same level.

McConnell's counterargument appealed in part to America's self-interest.

"If Putin were given a green light to destabilize Europe, invading and killing at will, the long-term cost to the United States in both dollars and security risks would be astronomically higher than the miniscule fraction of our GDP that we have invested in Ukraine's defense thus far," said McConnell.

"The road to peace lies in speedily surging Ukraine the tools they need to achieve victory as they define it," he added.

— Christina Wilkie

"He wants to know if he can shake your hand?" Roman Horodenskyi's translator said alongside the 20-year-old Ukrainian soldier.

"He's only had his arm for two weeks so he's still getting used to operating it," his translator added before he told Horodenskyi in their native Ukrainian that he could practice the greeting.

The 6-foot-3-inch Ukrainian marine smiled and extended his right arm, a lightweight fusion of silicon, carbon fiber composites and thermoplastic. Taking several deep breaths, the 230-pound gentle soldier gazed down at the dynamic limb, widened his fingers and slowly tightened his grip around a reporter's hand.

Horodenskyi, a double amputee as a result of the Kremlin's war, was one of the Ukrainian defenders who survived the Russian carnage in the strategic port city of Mariupol last spring.

He shared his story of fighting for his country, surviving Russian capture and torture and his road to recovery with CNBC.

Read the full story here.

— Amanda Macias

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba requested a minute of silence following the completion of his remarks before the United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

As Kuleba and other ministers rose to acknowledge the moment of silence, the permanent Russian representative to the United Nations interrupted to ask for the floor.

"We are rising to remember the memory of all lives lost," Russia's Vasily Nebenzya said in a brief statement before the international forum.

Nebenzya then rose to participate in the moment of silence.

— Amanda Macias

France's famed Eiffel Tower donned blue and yellow lights in solidarity for the one-year anniversary of Russia's war in Ukraine.

— Amanda Macias

Sweden announced it plans to send as many as 10 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, joining a number of European allies including Poland and Germany who pledged to do so in recent weeks.

"Sweden is joining the 'Leopard family' in support of Ukraine, through Swedish Leopard 2 tanks," a tweet from the Swedish prime minister's official account read. "Today's military package also includes further air defence components. We will continue to help Ukraine win the war."

Kyiv received its first delivery of the powerful, German-made tanks on Friday from Poland, after months of requesting them.

The green-lighting of their delivery by their country of origin, Germany, took several months and prompted criticism of Berlin for what other Western partners said was reluctance to take more serious action.

Germany's leadership stressed that it did not want to provoke Russia, but has since pledged tank deliveries to Ukraine and is urging allied countries to send their tanks to the country as well.

— Natasha Turak

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire hit out at attempts to soften the language of the G-20 communique during the meeting of the world's top 20 economies in India.

India wants Russia's war in Ukraine to be referred to as a "crisis" or "challenge," and is trying to build a consensus toward a more neutral term than "war." Western nations oppose this. The communique is meant to be issued Saturday night.

"There has been a very clear condemnation of the decision of Russia to attack Ukraine, during the G-20 in Bali, we should stick and we must stick to this statement," Le Maire told CNBC, referring to the previous such summit in November of last year.

"The second reason why I strongly oppose any water down of this statement, is that things are not moving in the right direction. We have losses in Ukraine, we have destruction in Ukraine. Many countries are facing the very deep and strong consequences of the war on their growth and inflation, so it is not time to water down the communique, its time to stick to very strong wording," he said.

"France, and I think all European countries, cannot accept any water down of the G-20 communique."

— Natasha Turak

The U.K. announced its latest export ban package on Russian goods, this time targeting every item of equipment Russia is known to be using in battle in Ukraine.

"Ukrainians are turning the tide on Russia but they cannot do it alone. That is why we must do more to help Ukraine win," U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

"Today we are sanctioning the elites who run Putin's key industries and committing to prohibit the export to Russia of every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield."

The new sanctions target "aircraft parts, radio equipment and electronic components that can be used by the Russian military industrial complex," the Guardian newspaper reported, citing the U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

— Natasha Turak

The U.S. Commerce Department announced four new rules aimed at controlling exports to countries participating in Russia's one-year old full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The rules were announced in conjunction with a historic tranche of over 200 sanctions released by the White House on the anniversary of the invasion.

Existing sanctions against Russian and Belarusian oil and gas production, commercial, industrial, chemical and biological industries are enhanced under the new rules. Iran has also been targeted with export control measures to limit the use of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles in Russian warfare.

The Commerce Department is also adding 86 global entities under 89 entries to its Entity List targeting those at risk for participating in weapons of mass destruction programs for actions supportive of Russia's war effort. The rules will revise four existing entities under the destination of Russia.

Matthew S. Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, also issued a temporary denial order suspending the export privileges of Russia-based Radiotester LLC and Russian individual Ilya Balakaev for unauthorized export of controlled counterintelligence items to Russia and North Korea.

In tandem with the agency's actions, the Justice Department also unsealed a five-count indictment in the Eastern District of New York charging Balakaev. It alleges he smuggled devices used in counterintelligence and military operations out of the U.S. to Russia to aid the Russian and North Korean governments.

"The past year has painfully demonstrated that we need to remain constantly vigilant in protecting those ideals and defending our values. In the coming year, Export Enforcement will continue to work with our allies and partners, both internationally and domestically, to enforce our export control laws and bring violators to justice," Axelrod said in a statement.  

— Chelsey Cox

The United States authorized $2 billion in aid to Ukraine on the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion Friday, and ramped up sanctions and tariffs on Moscow as it tries to bolster Kyiv's war effort.

The weapons package announced by the Defense Department includes funding for contracts for HIMARS rockets, drones and counter-drone equipment, mine-clearing devices, 155-millimeter artillery ammunition and secure lines of communication.

President Joe Biden met virtually with leaders of the G-7 and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday morning to mark the occasion, one year after the group first met to discuss aid.

The Biden administration also announced it would sanction more than 200 individuals and entities tied to the Russian war effort, including by targeting the country's metals and mining sector. The U.S. also said it would ramp up its export controls on Russian goods and increase tariffs on Russian products like metals and minerals.

— Emma Kinery