For the first time since an International Criminal Court arrest warrant was issued against him, Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel outside his country this fall, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The arrest warrant for the Russian ruler was issued last March amid harsh testimonies of war crimes committed by Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. Since the invasion in February 2022, Putin has only twice left the regions under the control of the Russian Federation, including to Iran, in order to advance drone deals.
Putin addresses Prigozhin's assassination // Credit: Kremlin
According to the report, which has not been denied by the Kremlin, Putin will participate in an event hosted by his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as part of promoting Beijing's ambitious flagship Belt and Road Initiative project, in which China wants to build a network of ports and land infrastructure around the world in order to create a "modern Silk Road" with China at the center – in part by upgrading its geopolitical status. China has become Moscow's only significant ally since the start of the war, but has refused to publicly support the invasion. It seems that his arrival in China will be possible, among other things, because the authorities in the country have promised that they will not allow the order to be implemented.
Putin was recently absent from the BRICS summit in South Africa, possibly due to fears that Pretoria would trigger the arrest warrant. The Kremlin, in response to a Bloomberg report on the upcoming visit, evaded confirmation but said that "the timetable for bilateral contacts between Russia and China is still under discussion."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us