On the verge of his upcoming trip to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the Western sanctions affecting his country’s economy, which is facing challenges due to trade restrictions and the financial burden of the conflict in Ukraine. Putin expressed joint opposition with China to what he called “discriminatory” sanctions in global trade, as revealed in a recent interview with China’s official Xinhua news agency. The Russian leader is set to visit China, Russia’s primary trading ally, for a four-day visit starting on Sunday, described by the Kremlin as unprecedented.
During the visit, Putin will participate in the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin, a security-oriented group established in 2001 by a coalition of Eurasian nations, now comprising 10 permanent members including Iran and India. Subsequently, Putin will head to Beijing for discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping and to attend a large-scale military parade in commemoration of the conclusion of World War Two following Japan’s formal surrender.
In response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Western nations, led by the United States, have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia. US President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of imposing substantial sanctions on Russia, pending progress in the peace negotiations. Putin and Xi solidified their “no limits” strategic partnership in 2022, having met more than 40 times in the last decade.