Russian Dictator Putin Arrives in China: Russia Isolated and Seeking Support in the East

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit aimed at demonstrating trust and an "endless" partnership between the two countries, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.

This marks only Putin's second foreign trip since the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for him in March.

It is also his first official visit outside the former Soviet Union this year, following his visit to Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, earlier this month.

The International Criminal Court, which accuses Putin of illegally deporting children from Ukraine, has instructed 123 member countries to arrest him and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their soil. Neither Kyrgyzstan nor China is a member of the ICC, established to prosecute war criminals.

Xi last met with his "dear friend" in Moscow just a few days after the arrest warrant was issued. At that time, Xi invited Putin to attend the third International Cooperation Forum "Belt and Road" in Beijing, which is organized by the Chinese leader.

On Tuesday, Putin will participate in an official reception at the forum's opening and engage with leaders from Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, and Laos.

As the forum's main guest, Putin will speak after Xi on Wednesday and hold bilateral talks with China's president later the same day.

Beijing rejects Western criticism of its partnership with Moscow, even as the war in Ukraine shows no signs of ending, insisting that their ties do not violate international norms.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has strengthened its energy connections with China as a sign of their economic cooperation.

Russia exports approximately 2.0 million barrels of oil per day to China, accounting for over a third of its total crude oil exports. Moscow also plans to build a second gas pipeline to China.

The trip is not a "full-fledged bilateral" visit but is carried out on the sidelines of an international conference, according to the Kremlin.

As reported by Western media, Russia has sought military and other assistance from China since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. However, the U.S. Department of State stated that they do not see any indications of China sending weapons to Russia.

Meanwhile, as The Gaze reported, North Korea has provided Russia with around 1000 containers of "equipment and ammunition."

Notably, last week, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) unanimously recognized Putin as a dictator and his regime as a dictatorship.