On the eve of his visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised Western sanctions as his country’s economy faces the threat of recession due to trade restrictions and the costs of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a written interview with China’s Xinhua news agency, Putin stated that Russia and China oppose “discriminatory” sanctions in global trade.
Putin is set to visit China, Russia’s largest trading partner, from Sunday to Wednesday in what the Kremlin has termed an “unprecedented” four-day trip. His itinerary includes attending the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin, a security focused group that has expanded to include 10 permanent members including Iran and India.
Following the SCO summit, Putin will meet the Chinese President Xi Jinping and participate in a large military Parade in Beijing commemorating the end of World War II. Earlier this year, Xi attended a military parade in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.
Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has faced multiple rounds of Western sanctions. In light of this, China has stepped into a support Russia by purchasing oil and providing various goods, which has helped push bilateral trade to a record $245 billion in 2024. Trade transactions between the two nations are now primarily conducted as rubles and yuan.
Putin noted that Russia is a major exporter of oil and gas to China and highlighted the recent expansion of agricultural exports including pork and beef. He emphasised the ongoing efforts to reduce trade barriers between two countries.
Despite EU accusations of Chinese support for Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, which the bloc views as a serious security threat, Putin did not address these claims. China has denied such allegations.
In 2022, Putin and Xi formalised a “no limits” strategic partnership and the two leaders have met over 40times in the past decade. Putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes related to the Ukraine conflict last visited China in 2024.
