LIVE UPDATES: US Has Been Clear That Its Forces Won't Fight Against Russia in Ukraine - Pentagon

"Well, the president's [Joe Biden] been very clear about the fact that we won't have troops engaged in combat with Russia and Ukraine in order to affect or put into place a no fly zone. We'd have to control the skies and that would mean that we'd have to engage Russian aircraft we'd also have to take out Russian and aircraft and aircraft systems in Ukraine, in Belarus, and also in Russia. So that would mean that we're in combat with Russia. And these are two nuclear powered countries. That nobody wants to see. It's not good for the region. It's not good for the world", Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told CNN.

"We hope that...the [European] struggle with everything Russia, which seems like outright racism, will be replaced with well-thought steps aimed at searching for ways to ensure the security and prosperity of the entire European continent, not jut one of its parts", Director of the First European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexey Paramonov told Sputnik.

"Sweeping and indiscriminate #sanctions would only make the people suffer", Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said via Twitter following a video call between presidents Biden and Xi.

"[T]he movement of China to align with or their proximity of moving closer together [with Russia] is certainly of great concern to us", Psaki said during a press briefing. "So, this has been an ongoing part of the discussion. I expect, it certainly would be when the president goes to Europe next week".