Putin seeks support: Key allies who defy international pressure

The West has imposed numerous sanctions on Vladimir Putin because of the invasion of Ukraine. The International Criminal Court has even issued a warrant for his arrest. This has seriously limited the Russian leader's freedom of movement on the international stage.

However, since Putin became president for the fifth time in March, after elections that were neither free nor fair, he has already visited five countries: Belarus, Uzbekistan, China, and most recently North Korea and Vietnam.

His hosts risk sanctions being imposed on them, but the Kremlin leader can count on his most loyal allies. Here is a list of the most important ones.

China is Russia's most important trading partner. Even before the war in Ukraine, China announced a "no-limits partnership" with Russia. The country reaffirmed this statement despite the potentially negative impact on China's economy and international image.

China’s stance on the Russian war in Ukraine is not neutral. This is also evidenced by alleged attempts to persuade other countries not to participate in the Swiss peace conference, which took place in mid-June. Russia was not invited, but China's absence was also significant.

Since the beginning of the conflict, China has done everything to support the Russian economy. It has also served as an intermediary in trading military goods subject to sanctions needed by the Russian war machine.

Communist China views Russia as a strategic partner in a world order determined by the U.S. and its allies. Putin, already having warm relations with Beijing, strengthened them further in May by travelling to China on a state visit. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russia last year.

North Korea, with its leader Kim Jong Un, is isolated on the international stage but Putin is not afraid of contact. The two countries recently signed a defence agreement. It commits them to mutual support in case of foreign aggression. The North Korean dictator spoke of a powerful alliance.

Russia, in turn, needs all possible military assistance, and highly militarized North Korea is a country that will provide it to Russia without hesitation. No other country has unconditionally supported Russia's war in Ukraine as North Korea has. For instance, the country (unlike China) voted against every single UN resolution condemning Russia for its actions in Ukraine and calling on it to stop them.

Belarus is Russia's closest and most loyal ally and, in the eyes of some commentators, a puppet state controlled by Russia. Numerous treaties and agreements exist between the two countries. In many areas, from oil and gas imports to economic subsidies, Belarus depends on its largest trading partner.

Russia regularly stations troops and military equipment in Belarus, and in February 2022, it launched the invasion of Ukraine from there. Russia received permission from Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko to station nuclear weapons in the country.

Like Russia, Iran is subject to harsh sanctions from the West. The two countries are closely linked economically and militarily, and cooperation has increased significantly since the war in Ukraine. U.S. intelligence findings indicate this.

Iran supplies Russia with drones and ammunition, which are essential on the front. One of Putin's rare international visits since the invasion of Ukraine was to Iran.

When Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a plane crash in May, Putin sent condolences and spoke of Raisi as a "reliable partner who accomplished great things in the friendly relations between Iran and Russia."

Russia has established a permanent military presence in Syria, which is Moscow's most important base in the Middle East. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a great fan of Vladimir Putin. Above all, however, he relies on Russian military assistance, without which he would not be able to control the ongoing civil war in the country.

Assad described the war in Ukraine as a "correction of history and restoration of balance that the world lost after the fall of the Soviet Union." Like Belarus and North Korea, Syria votes against UN resolutions aimed at convincing Russia to end the war.

The communist government of Vietnam has also deepened ties with Russia. During his trip to Asia, which aimed at strengthening Russia's international influence, Putin spoke about trade, defence, and the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin leader signed a defence agreement with Vietnam. The country has not yet condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Vietnamese President To Lam congratulated his guest on his re-election and expressed admiration for achieving "internal political stability." According to Putin, strengthening the strategic partnership with Vietnam is one of Russia's priorities.