President Putin holds international competitions to show off Russia's national power?. The 24th of this month marks two years since the military invasion of Ukraine.
The opening ceremony invited President Lukashenko of Russia's ally Belarus, as well as the leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries in Central Asia. "We will continue to be a sports powerhouse in the world," President Putin said at the opening ceremony of the sports competition in Kazan.