Photo: Viacheslav Prokofiev/AFP
Eurasia
18/08/2025 18:03
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet U.S. President Donald Trump alongside key European leaders at the White House, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been busy advancing his own diplomatic offensive—this time by phone.
On Monday, the Kremlin announced that Putin had spoken with several world leaders, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. According to Moscow’s official Telegram channel, the conversations centred on briefing them about the “key outcomes” of last week’s Alaska summit between Putin and Trump.
The calls served a broader purpose: to underline Putin’s relevance on the global stage despite Western – basically EU – attempts at isolating Russia.
With Brazil, Lula expressed support for facilitating a resolution to the Ukraine crisis and pledged to deepen both the Russia–Brazil strategic partnership and BRICS cooperation. In his exchange with Prime Minister Modi, Putin provided updates on the latest developments in the Russia–Ukraine war, while Modi reiterated India’s longstanding call for peace and extended an invitation for Putin to attend the 23rd Annual India–Russia Summit later this year.
South Africa’s Ramaphosa also reiterated his commitment to a peaceful settlement, stressing Pretoria’s willingness to remain engaged with all parties—including Ukraine. In Central Asia, Putin’s conversations with Rahmon and Japarov reinforced Russia’s continued role as a regional anchor at a moment of shifting global alignments.
