Why strengthening ties with the Global South was a high precedence for Putin’s latest international affairs blitz

Over the previous two weeks, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin staged a serious diplomatic blitz. Across three occasions in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East and New Delhi, India, in addition to a state visit by Vietnam’s leader, he met with some 18 heads of state.

Among them had been the leaders of heavyweights of the Global South similar to China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia and Turkey, simply to call just a few.

The Ukraine battle actually featured in these conversations. Russia has not too long ago ramped up its attacks on Ukraine, additional fuelling some fears within the West that Ukraine might find yourself losing the war.

Tellingly, nonetheless, the principle thrust of discussions led by the Russian president had a special focus: gasoline, commerce and transit.

Here’s why Russia is deepening ties with many companions within the Global South – and what these conferences inform us concerning the impacts of Western efforts to isolate Putin.

Shoring up gasoline and vitality

Fuel and vitality safety is changing into a mutual concern for each Moscow and its companions within the Global South. Ukraine’s deliberate offensive marketing campaign concentrating on Russia’s oil refining capability has resulted in noticeable fuel shortages in the country.

It has compelled the Russian authorities to import refined fuel from nations it has historically exported to, similar to Belarus, Turkey and India.

At the identical time, the Kremlin continues to push for the growth of its vitality exports. This contains finalising the contract to construct the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, which intends to ship 50 billion cubic meters of pure fuel yearly from Russia to China by way of Mongolia.

Last week, Russia additionally signed a deal to determine a brand new strategic oil reserves hub in Vietnam.

Russia can be increasing cooperation on nuclear energy, which was a part of the discussion agenda with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vietnam’s President To Lam (throughout his state go to to Russia), and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Deeper ties with the Global South

The ongoing sanctions battle between Russia and the West has made its financial and commerce relations with the Global South pivotal for the nation’s survival and future growth.

Two pleasant interstate our bodies, by which Russia performs core roles, have gotten particularly necessary. The first is BRICS, a gaggle of 11 economies together with Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

The BRICS economies now account for about 40% of world GDP. Last yr, mutual commerce turnover between BRICS member states exceeded US$1 trillion for the primary time.

The second is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). This is a political and safety bloc spanning nations in Europe, Asia and the Indo-Pacific. According to Putin, Russia’s commerce turnover with the SCO exceeded US$400 billion in 2025.

Overall, Asia accounted for 73.4% of Russia’s commerce turnover final yr. It’s no shock that Moscow’s commerce hyperlinks with Asia featured in nearly each dialog in Bishkek, Vladivostok and New Delhi.

Bypassing disruption within the Middle East

Despite its pleasant ties with Iran, Russia and its shoppers aren’t immune from the continuing disruption to move and commerce routes by way of the Middle East. To mitigate these dangers, Russia is actively lobbying two comparatively new transcontinental transit networks.

The first is the 7,200-kilometre mixed rail-road-maritime International North-South Transport Corridor. This route connects Russia’s Baltic Sea ports with Mumbai in India, by way of the Caspian Sea and Iran.

Russia reportedly mentioned this route with the Indian and Iranian delegations he met with this month.

The second is the 5,600-kilometre maritime Northern Sea Route, which connects Asia’s ice-free ports with Russia’s Arctic ports as a part of the Northeast maritime passage throughout the Arctic Ocean.

In August, Beijing launched commercial operations alongside this route for the primary time.

From trade as traditional to political signalling

Russia walked away from this month’s diplomatic blitz with some clear wins. In addition to securing US$7.7 billion price of investments in Vladivostok, together with some profitable offers with Vietnam, Putin might additionally declare some political success.

First, though difficult at occasions, Putin’s interactions with his counterparts showcased how Moscow’s relationship with main non-Western overseas gamers stays a geopolitical fixed, even within the fifth yr of the Ukraine battle.

For leaders of rising centres of world affect, whether or not India’s Modi, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto or Vietnam’s Lam, interacting with Russia types a part of their nations’ international coverage strategy primarily based on the notion of “strategic autonomy”.

This sends a strong sign to the United States and its allies, amid the most recent spherical of high-level consultations involving the CIA and US Treasury chiefs and their Russian counterparts.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump despatched his personal personal envoys to Moscow and made a follow-up phone call to Putin.

Second, Russia and its core companions in Asia collectively signalled they may proceed to take care of strategic partnership hyperlinks. This contains the query of importing Russia’s fossil fuels, nuclear energy and different items and exporting processed gasoline again to Russia.

Fuel safety is especially related to the Russian authorities’ makes an attempt to stabilise the home state of affairs. The Kremlin is beneath stress to mitigate the aftershock of the escalating battle with Ukraine amid upcoming parliamentary elections on September 18-20.

Why the Global South nonetheless has considerations

Still, many within the Global South stay involved concerning the rising affect of what appears to be changing into a eternally battle in and over Ukraine.

The newest spherical of tit-for-tat assaults towards service provider transport within the Black Sea triggered fears of grain and wheat shortages.

In mid-November, China will host the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This is tipped to be a doable venue for the primary trilateral meeting between Putin, Xi and Trump.

Here, Moscow may really feel rising stress to settle the battle by political means from its companions. These nations don’t wish to really feel the consequences of the sanctions battle between the West and Russia, not to mention be dragged into it.