Russia wanted a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, but western countries had a „different scenario”, said Russian president Vladimir Putin today in his state-of-the-nation speech. This comes three days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24th February. The Russian leader held his annual speech one day after US president Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv and condemned Moscow’s „brutal” attack on a sovereign country. Vladimir Putin also said Russia would suspend its participation in the New START treaty with the US on the reduction of strategic nuclear weapons. Joe Biden is to speak in Warsaw today, and he is expected to unveil new measures to consolidate NATO’s eastern flank. During his stay in Warsaw, he is also due to meet the leaders of Bucharest Nine, a group of NATO countries from central and eastern Europe formed after Russia’s annexation of Crimea at the proposal of the presidents of Romania and Poland, Klaus Iohannis and Andrej Duda, respectively. Joe Biden promised on Monday in Kyiv that the US would supply more weapons to Ukraine and assured the latter of Washington’s „unwavering support” in the face of the Russian invasion.
