Leading up to the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tensions are high among world officials.This article, written by Holly Ellyatt for CNBC highlights the latest developments between the war’s major players.

The first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is coming up on Friday and we’ve seen geopolitical tensions ramp up this week in the lead-up to the event.

Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden have made high-profile speeches this week in which they criticized each other’s countries and traded barbs over the conflict.

Putin blamed the West for the war in Ukraine during a State of the Union speech Tuesday, and at another pro-war event on Wednesday, the president led the crowd in chants of “Russia!” saying the country was fighting for its “historical lands” in Ukraine.

Meanwhile Biden, during a trip to Europe this week, reaffirmed his commitment to Ukraine and said Moscow would “never” win the war. He also called Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the New START nuclear arms control treaty with the U.S. — a pact that limits the two sides’ strategic nuclear arsenals — a “big mistake.”

While severing ties further with the West, Putin looked to deepen ties with China on Wednesday as he welcomed one of Beijing’s top diplomats to Moscow. Russia’s courting of China comes ahead of an expected visit by President Xi Jinping to Russia this spring (Ellyatt).

Holly Ellyatt

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