Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that all arrangements are in place for Russian President Vladimir Putin to travel to China in the near future. Peskov's comment confirmed that logistical and diplomatic preparations for the trip have been finalized, though the Kremlin did not provide further specifics on timing or agenda in the announcement.
The upcoming visit will represent an additional high-level encounter between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders have met on more than 40 occasions during their respective tenures, and their most recent meeting took place in Beijing in September.
The relationship between Moscow and Beijing has a formal marker in a strategic partnership agreement the two leaders signed in February 2022. That pact was described by the parties as a partnership with "no limits," and it was formalized less than three weeks before Russia launched military operations in Ukraine.
The Kremlin's confirmation comes at a moment of overlapping diplomatic activity in China: U.S. President Donald Trump is conducting a visit to China this week. The Kremlin statement did not link the two events directly but the timing places both presidential visits on China's diplomatic calendar in close succession.
The announcement from Peskov was limited to the completion of preparations for Putin's trip. The Kremlin did not include further details on the trip's specific dates, the agenda to be covered, or whether additional public statements would follow prior to departure.
Context and immediate facts
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced Thursday that preparations for the visit are complete.
- Putin and Xi have met more than 40 times; their last meeting was in Beijing in September.
- The two leaders formalized a strategic partnership described as "no limits" in February 2022, less than three weeks before Russia launched military operations in Ukraine.
- The announcement coincides with a visit to China this week by U.S. President Donald Trump.
What is not yet disclosed
The Kremlin's public statement did not specify the trip's exact timing, the length of the visit, or the items to be discussed between the two presidents. There was no detail in the announcement about meetings with other Chinese officials, joint statements, or accompanying delegations.