President Joe Biden has announced that the United States is joining the European Union and Canada in banning Russian planes from its airspace in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.
"Tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights – further isolating Russia – and adding an additional squeeze on their economy," Mr Biden said during his first formal State of the Union speech.
Already shunned by the West over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has shown no sign of stopping an assault that has included strikes on Kyiv and rocket attacks in the second city of Kharkiv.
Dozens of people have been killed.
Mr Biden's annual speech to Congress, from the chamber of the House of Representatives, gave him a platform to highlight his agenda, reassure fretful Americans and seek to boost his sluggish poll numbers amid dire warnings his fellow Democrats could face losses in November congressional elections.
Mr Biden vowed Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a heavy price for his decision to invade Ukraine.
"He has no idea what's coming," he said in the chamber of the House of Representatives.
Often polarised along partisan lines, Democrats and Republicans rose to applaud Ukraine, many waving Ukrainian flags and cheering in the chamber.
The orders will take effect by the end of the day and will suspend operations of all aircraft owned, certified, operated, registered, chartered, leased or controlled by, for, or for the benefit of, a person who is a Russian citizen.
The ban will include passenger and cargo flights, and scheduled as well as charter flights.
Russian convoy advances on Kyiv
Russia's war on Ukraine is now in its sixth day, with a kilometres-long convoy of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles moving closer to the Ukrainian capital and fighting intensifying on the ground.
Russian artillery hit the main central square in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, and other civilian targets, Ukrainian authorities said.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has tested Mr Biden's ability to respond rapidly to events without sending American forces into battle.
The crisis has forced Mr Biden to reshape the speech to focus on uniting Americans around a global effort to punish Moscow and support Kyiv.
"Throughout our history we've learned this lesson: when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising," Mr Biden said during his address.
'Everyone has been dragged into war': Ukraine
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO members to impose a no-fly zone to stop Russia's air force, something the military alliance ruled out.
"This is not about dragging NATO countries into war. The truth is everyone has long since been dragged into war and definitely not by Ukraine, but by Russia — a large-scale war is going on," Mr Zelenskyy said.
Russian flights have been effectively barred from US destinations for the most part in recent days because of bans on the use of Canadian and European airspace.
Some foreign governments have privately questioned why the United States did not move faster to ban Russian planes as have some US politicians.
Mr Putin has asserted Ukraine committed "genocide" in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, without presenting evidence, and said the invasion, called a "special operation" by Russian officials, was therefore justified to end it.
ABC/wires
