Putin’s Beijing Visit Promises Few Rewards

(Pavel K. Baev – The Jamestown Foundation) The timing and scale of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming May 19–20 Beijing visit underscores Russia’s weakened geopolitical standing, reinforcing perceptions that Moscow has become Beijing’s dependent junior partner rather than an equal strategic power. Russia’s stalled war effort against Ukraine, mounting battlefield losses, and worsening economic pressures have intensified concerns about the sustainability of Putin’s strategy. U.S. President Donald Trump’s May 13–15 visit to Beijing undermined Putin’s expectation of deepening U.S.–PRC tensions, leaving Russia isolated as its ambition to attain great-power status through its war against Ukraine continues to unravel. – Putin’s Beijing Visit Promises Few Rewards – Jamestown