February 25, 2023 - Russia's war in Ukraine

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.

On Friday, the Russian foreign ministry issued a statement warning NATO and Ukraine against "adventurous steps" in Transnistria — a breakaway region of Moldova where some 1,500 Russian troops are stationed.

It warned that while Moscow stands for using "political and diplomatic means" to solve any issues, Russian forces will ensure the "protection of their compatriots" in Colbasna in Transnistria, and will "adequately respond" to any provocations from Kyiv.

"Any action that poses a threat to their security will be considered, in accordance with international law, as an attack on the Russian Federation," the statement added.

Ukrainian officials have recently accused Russia of plotting to destabilize Moldova. On February 13, Moldova's President Maia Sandu echoed Ukraine's claims and accused Russia of planning to use "saboteurs who have undergone military training and are disguised as civilians" to destabilize the country.

"The statements of President Zelensky about the plans of the Russian Federation to destabilize the Republic of Moldova have been confirmed by our institutions," she said.

Late Thursday, the Russian defense ministry claimed that Kyiv had "intensified efforts to prepare for an invasion of the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic."

A prominent Russian military blogger, who goes by the name of WarGonzo, said that "given that we have no direct land supply to Transnistria, and that the unfriendly Moldovan government will most certainly not allow our air force into the sky, the Russian garrison in Transnistria is now probably in the most vulnerable position, compared to the position on other fronts."

Ukraine responds: Addressing Russian accusations that it is building up forces close to the Moldovan territory, a Ukrainian State Border Service spokesperson said 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.”

"Ukraine has always paid attention to Transnistria, as it is actually an enclave of Russia, which could have been used against our state as early as February 24 last year,” said the spokesperson, Andrii Demchenko.

“Fortunately, we did not record any active or provocative actions in this direction either," Demchenko added.

CNN's Mariya Knight contributed to this report.

There's no evidence "so far" that China will militarily back Russia in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said Friday while warning any support would have economic ramifications for Beijing.

Asked if he was worried China would fight with Russia, the president said he spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the issue and about the economic consequences during the summer. "And I said, ‘Look, it's not a threat. It's just a statement,” Biden said as he departed the White House.

Some context: The US has intelligence that the Chinese government is considering providing Russia with drones and ammunition for use in the war in Ukraine, three sources familiar with the intelligence told 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.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the issue when he met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, officials said.

US President Joe Biden dismissed China's proposed peace plan for the war in Ukraine on Friday, suggesting its implementation would only benefit Russia.

Beyond his criticism of the peace plan, Biden outright rejected the notion of China negotiating peace in the war, calling it irrational.

Biden also weighed in on the possibility of China providing lethal weapons to Russia, which US officials have warned of in recent days.

Biden declined to outline the consequences of China arming Russia, but suggested China would face the same "severe sanctions" as any other country or entity that has supplied weapons to Russia.

Some background: The US has intelligence that the Chinese government is considering providing Russia with drones and ammunition for use in the war in Ukraine, three sources familiar with the intelligence told 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.

China's Foreign Ministry said Friday that the country takes a "responsible approach" to military exports and does not provide arms sales to conflict areas. The statement comes a day after a German media outlet claimed Beijing is negotiating with Moscow to supply drones.

US President Joe Biden told ABC News on Friday that Ukraine “doesn’t need F-16s now,” despite reporting that Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have, in recent days escalated their public lobbying campaign for the US-made fighter jets, arguing they need them urgently to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks.

Pressed on Zelensky’s calls for the US to provide the fighter jets, Biden told Muir: “There is no basis upon which there is a rationale, according to our military now, to provide F16s,” adding “I am ruling it out, for now.”

Earlier Friday, Biden balked when asked by CNN’s Jeremy Diamond what he told Zelensky during his visit to Kyiv about the possibility of providing F-16s, responding: “That’s a private discussion.”

Biden National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a town hall Thursday the F-16s came up during the US president's surprise trip to Ukraine.

Some context: Ukraine's renewed public push for the planes, which Ukraine's foreign minister publicly described as a "priority" last month, appears driven in large part by a belief in Kyiv that with enough public pressure, the Ukrainians can eventually secure weapons systems that were once deemed a red line by the west.

"What is impossible today is absolutely possible tomorrow," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told NPR in January.

A Ukrainian military official echoed that sentiment in comments to CNN, saying, "It's going to come sooner or later."

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. 

The European Union has approved a 10th round of sanctions against Russia, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU said on Friday.

“It’s one year since Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, today, the EU approved the 10th package of Russian sanctions,” the presidency said on Twitter. 

The Swedish Presidency of the EU added the new sanctions package has imposed “the most forceful and far-reaching sanctions ever to help Ukraine win the war.”

The package includes:

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson tweeted that he welcomed the EU’s agreement on its 10th round of sanctions.

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.