US president Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address from Capitol Hill on Tuesday evening, commending the Ukrainian people’s resolve to fight and vowing that Putin must “pay a price” for his actions in Ukraine.

Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated.

He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined.

He met the Ukrainian people.

From President Zelenskiy to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, inspires the world.

Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland …

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.

Putin’s latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected repeated efforts at diplomacy. He thought the west and Nato wouldn’t respond. And he thought he could divide us at home.

Putin was wrong. We were ready. Here is what we did. We prepared extensively and carefully.”

Biden then said the free world will hold the Russian president accountable.

We are inflicting pain on Russia and supporting the people of Ukraine. Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever.

Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. But while he may make gains on the battlefield – he will pay a continuing high price over the long run.

When the history of this era is written Putin’s war on Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger.

In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security.

This is a real test. It’s going to take time. So let us continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the Ukrainian people.

Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people.

He will never extinguish their love of freedom. He will never weaken the resolve of the free world.”

Related: State of the Union: Joe Biden pledges to make Putin pay for Ukraine invasion

The United States will ban Russian flights from its airspace, US president Joe Biden has just confirmed.

Tonight, I’m announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on our economy.”

The decision follows similar moves made by the European Union and Canada.

The US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration said orders blocking Russian aircraft and airlines from entering and using all US airspace will be fully in effect by the end of Wednesday.

The orders suspend operations of all aircraft owned, certified, operated, registered, chartered, leased, or controlled by, for, or for the benefit of, any Russia citizen.

This includes passenger and cargo flights, and scheduled as well as charter flights that will “effectively closing US air space to all Russian commercial air carriers and other Russian civil aircraft,” the department said.

Russian troops have reportedly landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second most populous city, according to the Security Service of Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities said at approximately 3am local time, Russian airborne troops landed and engaged in heavy fighting with Ukrainian forces.

“A Russian landing party landed in Kharkiv,” an alert from Ukraine’s State Special Communications agency read just before 3am.

The agency said the soldiers attacked the military medical clinical centre hospital, adding that a “battle broke out between the invaders and the Ukrainian defenders.”

The city, with a population of about 1.5 million, has been encircled for days and saw at least six people killed when the region’s administrative building on Freedom Square was hit with what was believed to be a missile.

The attack on Freedom Square — Ukraine’s largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life in the city — was seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasn’t just about hitting military targets but also about breaking their spirit.

The bombardment blew out windows and walls of buildings that ring the massive square, which was piled high with debris and dust.

“People are under the ruins. We have pulled out bodies,” said Yevhen Vasylenko, an emergency official.

Zelenskiy pronounced the attack on the square “frank, undisguised terror” and a war crime. “This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation,” he said.