The US-Russia summit marks Putin’s first trip to the West since the war in Ukraine began

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with an officer upon his arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 6, 2023. (Konstantin Zavrazhin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

For most of his quarter-century rule, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Paris, London, Vienna and New York. Since Moscow invaded Ukraine, however, his destinations have been places like Minsk, Pyongyang, Hanoi and Beijing, as the West sought to turn Russia into a pariah.

Russia has countered Western attempts to isolate it by bolstering its ties with ex-Soviet allies and other developing countries. Putin’s travel also has been limited by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued in 2023 that has prompted him to avoid visits to places that recognize the court’s authority. The U.S. isn’t a member of the court and thus doesn’t have an obligation to arrest him.

The trip to Alaska will be Putin’s first to the United States since 2015, when he attended the UN General Assembly in New York. It’s also his first visit to a Western country since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Here’s a look at some foreign trips Putin has made since the start of the war in February 2022:

2022

June 28-29, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan — Putin’s visit to the two ex-Soviet nations was his first after launching the Ukraine war. In Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Putin attended a summit of the Caspian Sea nations to discuss regional cooperation.

July 19, Iran — Putin met with leaders of Iran and Turkey, focusing on the situation in Syria.

Sept. 15-16, Uzbekistan — In Tashkent, he held a summit of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group dominated by China and Russia. Putin met on the sidelines of the summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, their first encounter since the war began.

Oct. 13-14, Kazakhstan — Putin attended a conference aimed at promoting peace and security in Asia.

Nov. 23, Armenia — Visiting Yerevan, Putin attended a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-dominated group of nations that once were part of the former Soviet Union.

Dec. 9, Kyrgyzstan — Putin attended a Bishkek meeting of the Eurasian Economic Council, an economic alliance of several ex-Soviet nations.

Dec. 19, Belarus — Putin met in Minsk with President Alexander Lukashenko, Russia’s neighbor and staunch ally that was a staging area for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

2023

Oct. 12-13, Kyrgyzstan – Putin returned to Bishkek for a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a grouping of ex-Soviet nations.

Oct. 17-18, China — Putin attended a forum of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in a trip that underscored Beijing’s support for Moscow.

Nov. 9, Kazakhstan -- A visit by Putin to Astana, Kazakhstan, was part of his efforts to cement ties with the ex-Soviet neighbor and major economic partner.

Nov. 23, Belarus — Putin attended a summit in Minsk of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-dominated security grouping of several ex-Soviet nations.

Dec. 6, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — The Kremlin leader made a working visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a lightning tour intended to raise Moscow’s profile as a Middle East power broker.

2024

May 16-17, China — Putin visited Beijing to emphasize Russia and China’s burgeoning strategic ties and his own personal relationship with Xi as they sought to present an alternative to U.S. global influence.

May 23-24, Belarus -- Putin visited Belarus in another of several foreign tours to kick off his fifth term in office.

May 26-28, Uzbekistan -– On a visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Putin signed an accord for Moscow to build the Central Asian country’s first nuclear power plant.

June 18-19, North Korea -– Putin made his first visit in 24 years to Pyongyang, where he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, a pact stipulating mutual military assistance if either country is attacked. North Korea later sent its troops to Russia to help fight an incursion by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region.

June 19-20, Vietnam — After North Korea, Putin visited Vietnam and signed a dozen deals with President To Lam, seeking to bolster ties with a Soviet-era ally.

July 3-4, Kazakhstan – Putin and Xi joined the leaders of other countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, for an annual meeting of the security group created by Moscow and Beijing to counter Western alliances.

Aug. 18-19, Azerbaijan – Putin made a state visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, where he met President Ilham Aliyev to secure trade routes and retain Moscow’s clout in the South Caucasus.

Sept. 2-3, Mongolia — Putin made an official visit to Mongolia, where he got a red-carpet welcome as the country — a member of the International Criminal Court — ignored calls to arrest him on a warrant for alleged war crimes stemming from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Oct. 11, Turkmenistan – Putin visited Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of an international forum and discussed the situation in the Middle East.

Nov. 28, Kazakhstan — Putin traveled to Astana for a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-dominated security grouping of several ex-Soviet nations.

Dec. 6, Belarus — In Minsk, Putin and Lukashenko signed a security pact that for the first time put Belarus under Russia’s nuclear umbrella, including the potential use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to respond to an aggression.

2025

June 27, Belarus -– Putin traveled to Minsk for a summit of the Eurasian Economic Council, an economic alliance of several ex-Soviet nations.

The Associated Press