Putin will go to meet Xi Jinping in China

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin plans to visit China a little more than a week after his inauguration. The trip will emphasize the growing importance of ties between the two countries.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Bloomberg.

The visit is tentatively scheduled for May 15-16, a person familiar with the Kremlin's plans said. The trip to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping will be the dictator's first trip abroad since his inauguration in the Kremlin on May 7, the source, who declined to be identified, said,

Putin will arrive in China after Xi completes his first visit to the European Union in five years. He is scheduled to visit France, Serbia, and Hungary as part of a tour that begins May 5, and Russia's war in Ukraine is likely to be among the issues discussed.

China and Russia have declared an “unlimited” friendship, which has so far helped Russia withstand unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US and its allies. Thanks to sales of Russian oil and purchases of electronics, industrial equipment, and cars, Moscow's trade with China reached a record $240 billion in 2023, more than double the $108 billion reached in 2020.

Putin last visited China in October to attend a forum on Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative, a rare foreign trip for the Russian leader since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of alleged war crimes last March.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 04/05/2024