MOSCOW (Realist English). Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing, Russian diplomacy has focused on presenting the Russia-China partnership as the foundation of a new global balance. Following the talks, the sides confirmed their intention to expand cooperation in energy, technology, transport, artificial intelligence and international coordination.
The key outcome was the extension of the Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, timed to coincide with its 25th anniversary, as well as the reaffirmation of 30 years of strategic partnership.
In a joint statement, Moscow and Beijing opposed the expansion of military alliances in Asia (including AUKUS), opposed “waging wars by proxy,” and opposed the substitution of international law with rules imposed by a “narrow circle of states.”
The sides also agreed to strengthen interaction between their armed forces, expand joint exercises and naval patrols, as well as to oppose unilateral sanctions and the freezing of foreign assets.
Gas contract not signed? Negotiations on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline have not yet been successful, and the signing of the contract may be postponed to a later date or formalized as a purely business decision outside the framework of the political visit. Meanwhile, experts estimate the volume of projects under discussion at more than $200 billion.
Western reaction: Analysts agree that the visit has finally dashed US and European hopes of persuading Beijing to reduce its support for Moscow. The Russia-China alliance, in the assessment of Russian Presidential Special Representative Boris Titov, makes both participants “practically invulnerable, capable of withstanding any trials.”
Multipolarity as a central ideological line
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called relations between Moscow and Beijing “the most stable relations between two great powers” and said they play a stabilizing role in the global system.
Among the practical areas of cooperation:
- development of energy projects;
- settlements in national currencies;
- education and technology;
- coordination within international institutions.
Russia emphasizes that the transition to settlements in rubles and yuan reduces dependence on Western financial infrastructure.
In Lavrov’s statements, the theme of multipolarity has become central. Moscow advocates reforming international institutions and expanding the representation of Asian, African and Latin American countries in global structures.
Russia continues to promote closer coordination between:
- BRICS;
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO);
- Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU);
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Russia’s position is that the existing international system no longer reflects the changing balance of global economic power.
Ukraine and NATO: maintaining a hard line
On the Ukrainian track, Moscow has shown no signs of changing its strategy. On May 21, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dmitry Polyansky stated that NATO’s military activity near Russia’s borders had reached Cold War levels, giving no reason to expect that a new devastating war in Europe could be avoided.
On May 22, Lavrov made a series of tough statements. At a meeting of the General Council Commission of United Russia, he said that ideas about the “decolonization” of the Russian Federation had been floated in NATO, and these plans are still being discussed publicly. He also stressed that Western countries are creating a pan-European attack group against Russia “under the banners of Nazism and revanchism.”
Lavrov also criticized Western policy toward Ukraine, saying that Russia deliberately does not use its entire arsenal of means so as not to cause “excessive damage to territories where, by and large, our people live.” He said that Russian forces have taken about 80 settlements in Ukraine since the beginning of 2026, and the process is proceeding systematically.
At the same time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with Vedomosti that Moscow and Washington remain committed to continuing work on the Ukrainian issue. He sees no reason to speak of a slowdown in the dialogue, given the current dynamics of contacts between Russia and the United States at various levels.
On May 23, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially declared its readiness to continue negotiations based on the mutual understandings and agreements reached at the summit in Anchorage on August 15, 2025. The statement stressed that these agreements should be the foundation for further consultations.
Russia welcomes the very possibility of appointing a special EU representative for dialogue with Moscow. “The very fact that expert discussions are indeed being held around this is probably not bad. Just a few months ago, such discussions were not even taking place in Europe,” said Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, calling dialogue with Europe preferable to confrontation.
According to Peskov, the joint Russian-Belarusian nuclear exercises, which took place from May 19 to 21, are a signal for Europe and NATO. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, more than 64,000 troops and over 7,800 pieces of equipment took part in the exercises, including the Strategic Rocket Forces, the Pacific and Northern Fleets.
As part of the exercises, Russia delivered nuclear warheads to Belarus. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte previously confirmed that the alliance is monitoring the exercises.
Russia and the Middle East
Against the backdrop of the war around Iran, Russia continues to position itself as one of the major diplomatic centers. Reports have emerged about possible Russian initiatives related to Iran’s nuclear issues and attempts to preserve negotiation mechanisms.
Russia – Iran: Moscow has confirmed its readiness to act as an intermediary in talks between Tehran and Washington, including considering the possibility of exporting Iranian enriched uranium to Russian territory.
Russia – League of Arab States: The Russian side called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and expressed support for the efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States to achieve a long-term ceasefire. At the same time, Moscow stressed the need not to push the Palestinian problem to the periphery due to the war in Iran.
Between May 21 and 22, Russia’s foreign policy represented a combination of three stable priorities:
- Deepening the strategic alliance with China;
- Promoting the concept of a multipolar world;
- Maintaining a hard line on Ukraine while simultaneously keeping diplomatic channels open.
Moscow is placing less emphasis on expanding the number of new partners and more on strengthening already existing centers of power and international institutions, which it views as an alternative to the Western-centric global system.
