On May 9, 2025, the 80th anniversary of the World War II Allied victory over Nazi Germany, in which the Soviet Union played the decisive role, Russian President Vladimir Putin was less “isolated” than ever. Twenty-seven heads of state and government participated in the celebrations in Moscow. In addition to China and Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Serbia, and Slovakia were also present. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was absent, due to the military escalation with neighboring Pakistan. Troops from 13 countries marched in Red Square, including Azerbaijan, the five Central Asian states, and Vietnam, Mongolia, Myanmar, and Laos. Presidents Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, Miguel Díaz-Canel of Cuba, and Kim Jong-un of North Korea were also present.
Putin held bilateral meetings with almost all of them. But undoubtedly the most important meeting in Moscow was the one between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. It was the Chinese head-of-state’s eleventh visit to Russia. In total, Putin and Xi have met more than 40 times in person. A number of agreements were signed by both countries. But what was in those agreements? This question reveals a lot about the current state of their relations.
