Does Vladimir Putin have any friends left? Despite Russia's international isolation after invading Ukraine, there are still countries supporting Moscow, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.

There are the loyalists, like Belarus, Syria, North Korea, and Eritrea, which have all voted against UN resolutions condemning Russia's actions. There is China, a partnership both Vladimir Putin and Xi Xinping refer to as "a friendship without limits." And there are the countries farther away, like Iran, which is directly supporting Russia's war in Ukraine by supplying Moscow with drones and ammunition.

Then, there are the countries on the fence, like India, Brazil, and South Africa. All have strong economic and diplomatic ties to both the West and Russia and are walking a tricky tightrope of calling for peace without participating in western sanctions.
So despite the West's efforts to isolate and cut off Russia from the rest of the world, Moscow still has plenty of allies to rely on during tough times.

Watch the GZERO World episode: Russia vs. NATO: Heightened risk of war

More For You

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Busan, South Korea, October 30, 2025.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

China has defied Western sanctions for years and buys as much as 90% of Iran’s oil exports.

Ukraine's Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov speaks at a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson (not pictured), amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, July 1, 2026.
REUTERS/Alina Smutko

Critics have said that Zelensky – now in his seventh year in office – has been in power for too long.