Putin Plans First Major Trip Since Arrest Warrant—to China

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to visit China for the Belt and Road Forum in October, according to a Bloomberg report published August 29. This visit would mark Putin’s first trip outside of Russian or allied territory since the International Criminal Court (icc) issued a warrant for his arrest on alleged war crimes regarding the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Missed events: The Russian leader has declined to leave the country multiple times since his arrest warrant was issued. Last week, he forewent the brics summit in South Africa since the nation is signatory to the icc. He also refused an invitation from Indian President Narendra Modi to participate in the G-20 summit in India in September. Earlier this year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan invited Putin to visit Turkey to discuss a Black Sea grain deal. Instead, Erdoğan is now scheduled to visit Russia.

Since the issue of the arrest warrant, Putin has only traveled to Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine and former Soviet nations that remain aligned with Moscow and Iran, none of which are party to the icc. China is also not part of the organization.

Prophesied partners: To those familiar with Bible prophecy, it is not surprising Putin is prioritizing his relationship with China. Revelation 16:12 speaks of a multinational Asian alliance referred to as “the kings of the east.” In our free booklet Russia and China in Prophecy, we explain that Russia, supported by China, will lead this alliance.