Biden to order personal sanctions on Putin as Russian forces close in on Kyiv

As Russian forces advanced on the capital city Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on President Joe Biden and allies to do more to sanction Russia.

Amid pressure at home and abroad, the White House announced Friday that the U.S. will personally sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, following in the footsteps of a European Union move to freeze their assets, as the West puts on a united front in the face of Russian aggression.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at an afternoon press briefing that President Joe Biden would join European allies, including the United Kingdom, in ordering direct sanctions on "President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov and members of the national security team" and said to expect more details later in the day.

Earlier Friday, Biden called a desperate but defiant President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian forces closed in on Ukraine's capital Kyiv and after he publicly pleaded with U.S. and European nations to do more to help, including imposing more sanctions.

Zelenskyy also called on Putin to negotiate, but Putin showed no interest in a diplomatic solution.