Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his warm praise for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and invited global investment in the Northern Sea Route to enhance trade connectivity between the East and West.
Speaking during his second known trip outside the former Soviet Union since the Ukraine war, President Putin expressed gratitude to President Xi and emphasized Russia’s potential role in China’s contemporary revitalization of the ancient Silk Road. The two leaders shared a visibly warm camaraderie, with Putin referring to Xi as his “dear friend.”
Putin lauded the Belt and Road Initiative as a monumental effort that fosters global unity. He noted, “Russia and China, like most countries of the world, share the desire for equal, mutually beneficial cooperation in order to achieve universal sustainable and long-term economic progress and social well-being, while respecting the diversity of civilization and the right of each State to its own development model.”
The Russian President particularly highlighted the Northern Sea Route, an extensive maritime trade route running from Murmansk, near Russia’s border with Norway, eastwards to the Bering Strait near Alaska. Putin stated, “As for the Northern Sea Route, Russia does not just offer its partners to actively use its transit potential, I will say more: we invite interested states to participate directly in its development, and we are ready to provide reliable ice breaker navigation, communication, and supply.” He also revealed that, starting next year, navigation for ice-class cargo ships along the entire length of the Northern Sea Route would become year-round.
Notably, just before Putin began speaking, several European delegates, including former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, left the meeting room, signaling their reservations about the close Russia-China ties.
President Putin’s delegation to Beijing included prominent Russian officials such as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is scheduled to visit North Korea soon, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, responsible for oil and gas affairs, and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko. The Russian President was also accompanied by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin economic aide Maxim Oreshkin, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, and Igor Morgulov, Russia’s ambassador to China.
This meeting underscores the deepening relationship between Russia and China and their shared vision for enhancing global trade and cooperation through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and the Northern Sea Route. It is expected to have far-reaching implications for international economic partnerships and connectivity between Asia and Europe.
