Putin Seizes Opportunities Abroad Amidst Heightened Tensions with the West

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit China in October, according to an announcement by a top Kremlin official.

The visit will coincide with a forum on China's Belt and Road initiative, a project aimed at establishing a vast economic zone connecting Asia with Europe and Africa. Putin's trip to China comes as Russia and China strengthen their ties in light of worsening relations with the United States and its allies.

Additionally, Putin has plans to fulfill a promise to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by visiting Turkey, and he has received an invitation to participate in a Group of 20 summit in India in September.

However, his attendance at the summit is still unclear due to an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged abductions of children from Ukraine. South Africa, as a signatory to the ICC treaty, would be obligated to arrest Putin if he were to set foot in the country.

As China, Turkey, and India are not signatories to the Rome Statute, Putin can travel to these countries more easily. Moreover, China has positioned itself as neutral in the Ukraine conflict, while denouncing Western sanctions against Russia and accusing NATO and the United States of provoking Putin's military actions.

China has also proposed a peace plan that has been dismissed by Ukraine's allies, who demand Moscow's withdrawal from the country as a condition for peace. This visit to China will mark Putin's first visit to the country since February of last year, just before Russia's military invasion of Ukraine began.