One year after Russia began the war in Ukraine, Putin and Biden have each painted their own narratives about the war.

This week, with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaching, major players on the global stage took the opportunity to articulate their view of Europe’s first interstate war since World War II, as well as how they want their role in the epicenter of the world’s principal geopolitical conflict to be perceived.

The US vs China rivaly has many paths forward, and Biden and Xi will need to find a way to navigate a new cold war.

Amid competition and trade tensions, U.S.-China relations are at a low point. The path forward is treacherous, and how Washington chooses to navigate it will shape not only current events, but possibly the century ahead. The U.S. has three options for how it approaches Beijing going forward: It can oppose China, embrace it or ignore it.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

To become Malaysia’s prime minister after last year’s general elections, Anwar Ibrahim was forced to form a government with the scandal-tainted UMNO party. Though perplexing given Anwar’s reformist agenda, the coalition was considered the least bad option. But looking ahead, he might not be able to take UMNO’s support for granted.

A Chinese spy balloon floated above three Latin American countries.

Last week, after China flew a spy balloon over at least three Latin American countries, the region responded with uncharacteristic silence. For a region that is often obsessed with perceived violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the unwillingness to speak out against China’s airspace incursion is striking.

During Putin's war in Ukraine, Russia is receiving support from BRICS, an organization made up of China, Brazil, Iran, and Argentina, among others

BRICS countries all are lending support to Moscow at a time when it has been largely cut off diplomatically and economically from the Western world. But while the group functions as a source of support for Russia, it is important to distinguish the differences in how and why they are offering that support.

China's foreign minister visited Africa amid a US effort to compete with China's investment on the continent

Last month, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang continued a decades-long tradition of Chinese foreign ministers starting the year with a trip to Africa. The visit comes at a time of ramped up engagement between African states and the U.S., highlighting the U.S. tendency to characterize Africa’s relations with China in patronizing terms.

President Xi Jinping has modernized the PLA, China's military.

Now that Xi Jinping has cemented his position as the unrivalled leader of China, the country’s foreign policy increasingly reflects his personality: insecure, controlling and aggressive. This is apparent in the uncompromising vision for building a 21st-century PLA that Xi laid out at last year’s Party Congress.

In New Zealand, the new prime minister is expected to continue to nurture relations with China

Jacinda Ardern’s surprise exit from New Zealand politics has ushered in a new prime minister, Chris Hipkins. Despite the rather abrupt leadership change, Wellington is unlikely to make wholesale changes to its foreign policy, particularly when it comes to the most sensitive topic on New Zealand’s foreign affairs agenda: China.