On 2 March, UN General Assembly called on Russia to “immediately” withdraw from Ukraine. A large – overwhelming – majority passed this resolution. 141 countries voted in favor, 35 abstained – including China. Besides Russia, only Belarus, Syria, Eritrea, and North Korea voted against. These five countries are the ones that still support Putin to a lesser or greater extent.
Syria
Syria is also something of a friendship for Russia: the Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad has been able to retake a large area of his country since 2015, thanks to Putin’s intervention in the Syrian civil war. Syria has been relevant for Russia for decades – as access to the Mediterranean Sea. It has been speculated that Russia has been testing its weapons systems in Syria since 2015, trying out strategies that are now also being used in Ukraine. Media reports say Putin is currently also relying on Syrian fighters.
Belarus
The country is entirely dependent on Russia economically and politically. Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko allowed Putin to station troops in his country and invade Ukraine from there. Both countries held a joint exercise shortly before the war began.
Eritrea
The African country is also referred to as the “North Korea of Africa.” Arbitrary arrests, extra-judicial killings and torture are the order of the day here. As a result, the EU imposed sanctions against the country. For years, the autocratic president Isaias Afewerki has ruled Eritrea, which is also primarily isolated internationally. However, Eritrea’s location on the Horn of Africa makes it geopolitically interesting for Russia, so Afewerki is naturally not opposed to a donor.
North Korea
The North Korean regime also voted against the UN resolution. This is not surprising, as Russia is one of the few states globally that is friendly to North Korea. The Soviet Union already maintained relations with the communist “brother state” North Korea. Russia helped the Kim family of North Korean dictators to build up their missile and nuclear programs.
China
Although Russia’s giant neighbor China did not vote against the resolution, it also did not support it. It abstained – for a good reason: Beijing has cleverly avoided criticizing Moscow for the war in Ukraine. Both giant countries have been closely linked for decades, especially economically.
Beijing is Russia’s most important customer, especially for oil, gas and coal. While Western heads of state did not travel to Beijing for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, Putin was welcomed by Xi with open arms – and had a multi-million dollar gas deal wrapped up on the sidelines of the visit. Sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the EU are now driving Russia even further into Xi Jinping’s arms.
China, however, does not want to jeopardize its relationship with the West ultimately; as an exporting country, the Western sales markets are too important – hence its abstention. Despite this dilemma, China is (still) one of Putin’s five friends.
It remains to be seen whether China, in particular, will suffice as a source of support. The Western ones are hitting Russia’s economy hard. If there is also an energy boycott, Putin’s last major source of income from the West will disappear. How much Russia’s friends will still be able to help is uncertain.
