February 24, 2023 - It's now one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began

It's been one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and officials around the world are weighing in.

Here's what some have had to say:

Jill Biden. The first lady of the US told reporters Friday that she always has Ukrainians on her mind.

King Charles III. King Charles III assured that "the United Kingdom, along with its allies, is doing everything possible to help at this most difficult time."

Merrick Garland. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department "will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Ukrainian and international partners in defense of justice and the rule of law."

He vowed to investigate Russian crimes, prosecute alleged war criminals found in the US, "effect seizures against sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military," and to transfer certain seized Russian oligarch's assets.

Antony Blinken. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rolled out more sanctions, visa restrictions and additional tariffs for Russia in a Friday announcement

G7 leaders. Leaders of the G7 reaffirmed their support in a statement Friday, and called for an end to "Russian aggression."

The leaders call the war “an attack on the fundamental principles of sovereignty of nations, territorial integrity of states and respect for human rights,” call nuclear rhetoric by Russian President Vladimir Putin “irresponsible” and “unacceptable,” and say they are “united in our determination to hold President Putin and those responsible to account, consistent with international law.”

Kamala Harris. Vice President Kamala Harris shared a video on Twitter detailing the United States' support for Ukraine.

Jens Stoltenberg. Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg on Twitter sent well wishes to Ukraine and said that the organization will continue its support for Ukraine.

A local London council has announced a new road name – “Kyiv Road” – to mark one year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Westminster City Council said in a statement on Thursday that the new address will cover a small section of Bayswater Road in central London, with a new road sign installed on Friday. 

Kyiv Road will be located a short distance from the Russian embassy, Westminster City Council said in the statement.

“The request for a new placename has come from the Ukrainian community itself. Westminster is home to Ukrainians displaced by the war, and our residents have opened their hearts and their doors to those fleeing Putin’s war machine,” Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug said in the statement.

“As the center of an international capital, it seemed to us entirely fitting that part of our City should carry a torch for the unbowed defenders of Ukraine. It’s a small stretch of road, but we want to show the people of Ukraine that their struggle has a visible place in our City,” the councilor added. “Placenames across London have changed over the decades to mark momentous points or figures in history, so Kyiv Road is part of that long tradition.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko said that Kyiv Road is “a symbol of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and a tribute to their unwavering spirit in the face of aggression.”

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine caused them to flee their home in Kyiv, Oleksandr Shaposhnykov and Nataliia Shaposhnykova have been adjusting to daily life in New York City over the past year. 

The former dentists, aged 58 and 55, respectively, now live in Brooklyn. They are learning English with the Riverside Language Program — which supports immigrants, asylum-seekers and refugees — and are part of the Emma’s Torch culinary training program for refugees.

Their immediate family members fled to Pennsylvania and Switzerland to escape the war, but they said they have many friends still living in Kyiv, Irpin, Bucha and other areas. Some left the country for a while but missed their homes and went back, the couple said. 

Shaposhnykova said she is working as a barista at the culinary program's cafe inside the Brooklyn Public Library, which she called “hard but interesting.”

While they are grateful to be safe, the couple said they want to work to keep themselves from dwelling too much on the war and how it broke their family apart.

“I miss my family,” Shaposhnykov said, adding that they want to eventually live in America together.

“All of Ukrainian people want the war stopped and Ukraine [to] win. We want to be with our families, our friends, but Ukrainian people [are] very brave and strong, so everything will be OK,” Shaposhnykova said via translator Nadiia Kutniak, who works at Riverside Language Program.

The couple said some aspects of New York City have been difficult — Shaposhnykova got sticker shock when she saw rent prices, and said even getting one room without credit history was a “very big problem." But they have also found community through programs they have joined.

They came to the United States via the Uniting for Ukraine program, which US Citizenship and Immigration Services says “provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are outside the United States to come to the United States and stay temporarily in a 2 year period of parole.”

US intelligence suggests the Chinese government is considering providing Russia with drones and ammunition for use in Ukraine, three sources familiar with the intelligence tell CNN.

It does not appear that Beijing has made a final decision yet, the sources said, but negotiations between Russia and China about the price and scope of the equipment are ongoing. 

Since invading Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly requested drones and ammunition from China, the sources said, and Chinese leadership has been actively debating over the last several months whether or not to send the lethal aid.

US officials have collected information in recent weeks that suggests China is leaning toward providing the equipment.

The US and its allies last week began publicly warning about China's potential military support to Russia in an effort to deter Beijing from moving ahead with it and becoming a pariah on the world stage, US officials said.

The provision of drones and ammunition — which would likely be for small arms like handheld weaponry rather than larger artillery, the sources said — would mark a significant escalation of China's support for Russia, which to date has been largely limited to Chinese companies providing non-lethal equipment like helmets, flak jackets and satellite imagery.

The US National Security Council and State Department declined to comment, and CNN has asked the Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington for comment.

The German publication Der Spiegel first reported that China may provide attack drones to Russia.

What China has said publicly: Asked on Friday about the potential sale of lethal equipment to Russia, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, "China has always taken a prudent and responsible approach to military exports and does not provide any arms sales to conflict areas or belligerents."  

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi responded to the United States' allegations earlier this week, saying that China's position on Ukraine "can be simply put as promoting peace talks." 

China also released a position paper Friday calling for a resumption of peace talks on the Ukraine war, of which US officials remain highly skeptical.

Yi visited Russia this week, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in the coming months.  

Why it could matter for Russia: Moscow has purchased hundreds of weapons-capable drones from Iran in recent months but is burning through them quickly with repeated attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian areas. 

And Russian fighters are running so low on ammunition that Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, published photos this week of several dozen dead Wagner fighters and publicly blamed their deaths on the Russian Ministry of Defense's inability to supply them with enough ammunition. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would like to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

When asked at a Kyiv news conference how he plans to bring the countries that are geopolitically removed from Ukraine to his side, Zelensky said that he plans to meet with Xi.

"I believe that would be beneficial for both our states and for the security in the world, he said, adding that "China and Ukraine have a lot of trade turnover." 

China has given no indication that a meeting between Xi and Zelensky is possible. 

The president also said that it is necessary to respect international law and the United Nations Charter, and if China agrees with this, then it means it supports the "peace formula" put forward by Ukraine, which calls on Russia to leave every part of what is internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory.  

Zelensky earlier said "we need to work with China" if the country can respect international law and territorial integrity. On Friday, China said it is willing to play a constructive role in resolving issues between Ukraine and Russia.

New paper, old message: In a new document addressing the war in Ukraine, China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday called for a resumption of peace talks, an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons — a stance Xi communicated to Western leaders last year.

The 12-point paper is part of Beijing’s latest efforts to present itself as a neutral peace broker. Beijing’s claim to neutrality has been severely undermined by its refusal to acknowledge the nature of the conflict — it has so far avoided calling it an “invasion” — and its diplomatic and economic support for Moscow.

Russia's Foreign Ministry voiced appreciation Friday for the Chinese peace proposal on Ukraine, saying Moscow is open to achieving the goals of its so-called "special military operation" through political and diplomatic means.

In the newly released position paper, China’s Foreign Ministry called for a resumption of peace talks and an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons.

"We share Beijing's views," Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. It went on to call Kyiv's "documented refusal" to negotiate the "main obstacle" to a peaceful settlement.

China's 12-point proposal has been met with skepticism by Ukraine's allies because of its refusal to acknowledge the nature of the conflict – it has so far avoided calling it an “invasion” – and its diplomatic and economic support for Moscow.

But Russia praised "the sincere desire" of China to contribute to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine by peaceful means. And it said that Moscow shares concerns with its Chinese colleagues about "unfair competition and economic warfare" being leveled against Russia.

The Russian statement said the prospect of peace would rest, in part, on the cessation of Western weapons flowing into Ukraine, and "on the recognition of new territorial realities," in an apparent allusion to Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian territories in defiance of international law.

What China's proposal says: In its newly released plan, China reiterates calls for a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict, even as it faces increasing pressure from the United States and its allies over its growing partnership with Moscow.

“Conflict and war benefit no one. All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control,” the paper reads.

“Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis,” the authors said, adding that China will play a “constructive role."

“The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly,” the paper added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday a personal question about how he and his family are coping with the reality of war was "the hardest" of all the questions he was asked during a press conference on Friday.  

The question about Zelensky's family was the last question at the press conference. 

"The final question is the hardest," he said. "I love them, of course. I love my wife, my children, they are the main people for me."

"I don't see them often. My parents — I don't see them at all," he said, adding "they are all in my heart."

Zelensky added he is "incredibly lucky" with his family and his country. 

More than 9 million Ukrainian refugees — mostly women and children — crossed over to Poland, according Polish Consular General Adrian Kubicki, who told CNN that some decided to go back to Ukraine, some go back and forth, and some continued on to other countries.

Kubicki said that Poland demonstrated a new model of refugee assistance as it never put people fleeing their homeland in refugee camps. Instead, they are given a PESEL, which is the equivalent of an American social security number, so they could receive resources similar to the ones available to Polish citizens, he told CNN.

Ukrainian refugees would also have access to free education for their children and legal employment. People with disabilities would receive a per diem.

"We will provide it for as long as it needs to be provided," he said, noting that there is no expiration date set for this provision.

Poland is also the hub for many non-profit organizations that wish to help Ukrainian refugees flee to Poland or relocate to other countries, he said.

One of the organizations helping refugees is the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). It has been in the area since before the war, but CEO Ariel Zwang says the resources channeled in the country have greatly increased since the invasion began.

The organization's total Ukraine-related budget expanded from $63.3 million to $113 million — a 78% increase. This includes the care for Ukrainian refugees outside the country, it told CNN.

They provide impacted Jewish Ukrainians with information, assistance and evacuation abilities.

"Internally displaced people stay in JDC hotels and receive trauma therapy," Zwang said, who gave the example of an elderly woman who she met in western Ukraine after being evacuated from eastern Ukraine.

"JDC reached out to her early in the war asking if she wants to relocate [to another country], and she said, 'no, I don’t know if my homecare will continue, I don’t know anybody there,'" Zwang recounted. "But when a JDC Hesed [community center] called again, asking if she wanted to evacuate to another location within Ukraine, she agreed. So we sent her a car so she could get to a bus at 7 a .m. (local time) to evacuate."

While stopping in the city of Dnipro for a few days, the woman heard thunderstorms and thought it was shelling. Zwang said that the woman was traumatized, and said, "My god, they have found me here too.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia will continue to try to destabilize Moldova, and that Moscow's attempts should be stopped with "more weapons" and "more sanctions."

Zelensky's comments came after Russia sought to flip the narrative Friday, claiming Kyiv was the government provoking tensions in the nation on its southern border, not Moscow. The Ukrainian president responded during an address marking one year of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Zelensky said his government respects the territorial integrity of Moldova, and that Transnistria — a sliver of land where Russia has inserted a so-called peacekeeping force to back pro-Moscow separatists — is included in that rightful Moldovan territory.

Zelensky said Russia is carrying out a "hybrid war and information war" in Moldova.

"Putin needs to show successes and victories. But there will be no victory on the battlefield in Ukraine. Therefore, he can go looking for success where there are weak points," he said.

"I think it's important to stop these attempts with more weapons, more sanctions, the appropriate steps," he added.

More background: Officials in Moldova and in several Western governments have expressed concern in recent weeks that Moscow is mirroring some of the steps it used as a pretext for invasions in Georgia and Ukraine.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has warned of an alleged Russian plot to destabilize her government, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced "deep concern" about the prospect of Moscow meddling with the tiny country.

Russia has leveled its own accusations at Ukraine, warning against NATO or Kyiv taking "adventurous steps"in Transnistria, and claiming that an attack on Moscow's compatriots in the territory would be considered an attack on Russia itself.

A spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Service responded to Russia's comments Friday, saying the Ukrainian military and National Guard have taken “increased measures on the border with Transnistria" but solely "to prevent any provocations from the other side.”

CNN's Katharina Krebs contributed to this report.