Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says 'certain positive movements' in negotiations

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy spoke to over 300 senators, members of Congress and top Hill staff on Saturday, pleading for more lethal and military aid.

Zelenskyy, on an hourlong Zoom call, asked U.S. lawmakers for weapons including drones, planes and stingers; the implementation of a "no-fly" zone over Ukraine; a full ban on the import of Russian oil to the U.S.; and a suspension of the use of Visa and MasterCard in Russia.

In a statement made after the call, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “President Zelenskyy made a desperate plea for Eastern European countries to provide Russian-made planes to Ukraine. These planes are very much needed. And I will do all I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer.”

According to a source who attended the meeting, Schumer started the call by addressing Zelenskyy, saying, “Mr. President, we are inspired by you and the strength and courage of the Ukrainian people. The people of New York and its large Ukrainian community stand with you."

“Senator McConnell and I, along with the other members on this zoom, are working very hard in a bipartisan fashion to get all the assistance the administration has requested for the Ukrainian people. Together we will get that assistance of over $10 billion in economic, humanitarian and security assistance to the Ukrainian people quickly," Schumer said.

One senator on the call told ABC News' Rachel Scott that at one point, dozens of attendees unmuted and said "Thank you, Mr President," "We support you," "Slava Ukraini" and "We will help you."

The senator told Scott that Zelenskyy "was clearly moved by the cascade of voices lifted in support."

Senators Rob Portman and Jeanne Shaheen, who recently traveled to Ukraine, are expected to send a letter asking the Department of Defense to send F16 planes to Eastern European countries who donate MiG aircrafts to Ukraine. Poland has said it is willing to do this.

Another senator told ABC News that there are serious concerns about Zelenskyy's safety, saying, "If he’s dead it makes it that much easier for Russians to seize control. If there isn’t a legitimate government we recognize it’s harder to help."

According to a source, Zelensky said he and his family have been targeted.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury said Friday that sanctions don't start until June and omit Russian oil and gas. Senators are going to call for immediate tightening.

-ABC News' Trish Turner, Rachel Scott, Mariam Khan and Ben Siegel

The U.S. on Saturday confirmed that it approved a flight chartered by the Russian government to pick up the Russian United Nations Mission personnel who were ordered expelled earlier this week for reportedly spying, State Department spokesperson confirmed to ABC 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," the spokesperson said.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday spoke to his Chinese counterpart for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine. The State Department said Blinken warned State Councilor Wang Yi that "the world is watching to see which nations stand up for the basic principles of freedom, self-determination, and sovereignty."

"He underscored that the world is acting in unison to repudiate and respond to the Russian aggression, ensuring that Moscow will pay a high price," Ned Price, a spokesperson for Blinken, said in a statement.

China, however, continues to do business with Russia and even countries like India hold back from condemning the Kremlin's war.

Starting late last year, U.S. officials shared privately with the Chinese, just as they did publicly, that they believed Russia was preparing for a potential invasion of Ukraine, urging Beijing to use its influence with the Kremlin “to indicate to Putin that this kind of aggression would be met with a swift and severe response,” a State Department official said last week.

But China’s Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that it did not request Russia to hold off on an invasion until after the Winter Olympics. The State Department had no comment on that report.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan

The International Committee of the Red Cross said safe passage operations from Ukrainian cities will not start on Saturday.

"We understand that the safe passage operations from Mariupol and Volnovakha will not start today," the ICRC said in a statement.

The ICRC said it remains in dialogue with the parties about the safe passage of civilians from different cities affected by the conflict, saying, "The scenes in Mariupol and in other cities today are heart-breaking."

"As a neutral and impartial humanitarian intermediary, we stand ready to help facilitate the safe passage of civilians once the parties have reached an agreement and that its terms are strictly humanitarian for the ICRC to be involved," the ICRC said.

Adding, "Regardless of whether humanitarian corridors are implemented in the coming days, parties must continue to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure under international humanitarian law both for those who choose to leave and those who remain."

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekiah