Ukraine-Russia crisis: What to know about rising fear of war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has received the backing of his Chinese counterpart amid fears in the West that Moscow is preparing for military action against Ukraine

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has backed Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in his standoff with the West over Ukraine as the two leaders met before the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The leaders used a joint statement to call out what they called a “minority on the world stage” for advocating “unilateral approaches to resolving international problems and resort to military policy.”

Meanwhile, the leaders of European Union powerhouses France and Germany announced plans to head to Moscow and Kyiv soon for talks aimed at easing tensions.

Here are things to know Friday about the international tensions surrounding Ukraine, which has an estimated 100,000 Russian troops massed along its borders.