Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as Russia’s president for another six-year term in lavish style at the Kremlin after sidelining or eliminating his rivals, and is now focused squarely on the war in Ukraine—and the alliances he needs to secure a victory. Since the invasion two years ago, Putin has nurtured close relationships with a host of countries who share his wariness of the U.S. and the West. “We have been and will be open to strengthening good relations with all countries that see Russia as a reliable and honest partner. “China is a lifeline" for Russia, said Leon Aron, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Putin can afford to place nearly all his attention on the war and these foreign alliances because there is very little in the way of domestic opposition anymore.

Source: Wall Street Journal May 07, 2024 12:48 UTC