Westward Journey Marks Vladimir Putin's Initial Visit Since Ukraine Conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin's Post-Ukraine Conflict Travel: A Review
Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin's international travel has been limited and focused on diplomatic meetings. Here's a look at some of the key visits he has made since then.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, Uzbekistan (September 15-16, 2022)
Putin recently attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan, marking one of his few international visits since the Ukraine conflict began.
Moscow, Russia (Hosting Visits)
In August 2025, Putin met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during the latter's three-day visit. The meeting focused on issues including India’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil despite international pressures.
Alaska, USA (Proposed Meeting in August 2025)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced a planned meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15, 2025. This meeting was proposed by Trump and aimed at direct talks, though details on the agenda were not fully clear.
Moscow (Proposed Summit in Mid-2025)
Putin proposed a trilateral summit in Moscow including himself, Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in mid-2025. However, Zelenskyy rejected this proposal, so it did not materialize.
Other Countries
Since the invasion began in 2022, Putin's foreign visits have been minimal. In June 2022, he attended a summit of the Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk, Belarus. In August 2022, he met with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev to secure trade routes and maintain Moscow's influence in the South Caucasus.
On December 19, 2022, Putin met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. In October 2022, he attended a conference in Kazakhstan aimed at promoting peace and security in Asia. In November 2022, he attended a Collective Security Treaty Organization summit in Armenia.
In October 2023, Putin returned to Kyrgyzstan for a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In July 2022, he met with leaders of Iran to discuss the situation in Syria. In June 2022, he visited North Korea and signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty with Kim Jong Un, pledging mutual military assistance if either country is attacked.
He also signed a dozen agreements with Vietnam's President To Lam to strengthen ties with a Soviet-era ally in June 2022. In October 2022, he met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of an international forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
In December 2022, Putin and Lukashenko signed a security pact, placing Belarus under Russia’s nuclear umbrella for the first time. In May 2022, Putin signed an agreement for Moscow to build Uzbekistan's first nuclear power plant in Central Asia. He visited Belarus to kick off his fifth term in office in May 2022.
In December 2022, Putin attended a meeting in Kyrgyzstan of the Eurasian Economic Council. In September 2022, he received a red carpet welcome in Mongolia despite the country ignoring calls to arrest him over suspected war crimes.
Putin visited Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on June 28-29, 2022, his first trip after initiating the war in Ukraine. In November 2022, he attended a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan.
First Visit to a Western Country since 2022
Putin's visit to Alaska will be his first to a Western country since Moscow launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The exact date of this visit has not been announced yet.
In summary, Putin's international travel since February 2022 has been minimal and primarily involved hosting key diplomatic visitors or participating in proposed talks aimed at addressing geopolitical tensions related to the Ukraine conflict.
News of Putin's travel has been limited, primarily focused on diplomatic meetings to address war-and-conflicts and political tensions, especially those related to the Ukraine conflict. In September 2022, he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, marking one of his few international visits since the Ukraine conflict began. Furthermore, his first visit to a Western country since the conflict began will be to Alaska in August 2025, a proposed meeting aimed at direct talks. General news outlets have been covering these developments closely.
