Russian President Vladimir Putin, while addressing the Defense Ministry Board meeting in Moscow on December 16, said that most of the countries of the world remain Russia’s military allies and partners.
,[W]We need to continue to further expand military and military-technical cooperation with allies and partners who are ready and willing to work with us, which includes most countries around the world.”
This is wrong.
Moscow’s formal alliances are limited to five ex-USSR state-members of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, including Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Beyond the CSTO, Moscow is engaged in military partnerships with China, Iran, India, and North Korea. By comparison, NATO has 32 members.
Additionally, Russia is dealing with a wide range of international sanctions aimed at weakening its military-industrial capabilities and forcing the Kremlin to stop the war in Ukraine. Declining arms exports, international isolation, and the disruptions of the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Syria further undermine Putin’s claims to broad global influence.
Rather than representing the majority, Russia’s military relationships reflect a concentrated and shrinking sphere of influence, shaped by pragmatic and often transactional relations.
Russia’s strategic partnerships are important in their own right, but they represent only a small part of the global community. These include China, India, Iran, North Korea and Syria. [until the December 8 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime],
Russia and China have fostered close strategic ties, particularly in defense and technology. However, this partnership does not constitute a formal military alliance. The two countries have cooperated on military exercises and arms deals but maintain independent geopolitical goals.
Historically a significant buyer of Russian arms, India’s dependence on Russia has declined in recent years as it has been diversifying its defense purchases to include the United States, France and Israel. While India remains a major partner, its broader geopolitical stance remains non-aligned.
Under Putin, Russia has strengthened military ties with Iran, especially with regard to drones and missile systems. This relationship has grown out of a shared opposition to Western politics but there is no scope for a formal alliance.
From September 2023, North Korea has supplied Russia with up to 5 million artillery shells, which exceeds Russia’s annual production. Russia has also deployed North Korean KN-23/24 missiles, although they have a higher failure rate. In June, they signed a strategic partnership, and in October, 10,000 North Korean troops were sent to Russia for training and fighting against Ukraine.
Russia has provided political support and military assistance to the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria since 2011. From September 2015 to December 2024, Russia’s direct military involvement strengthened Assad’s position. However, following Assad’s overthrow in December, this alliance disintegrated. Russia’s financial assistance to the Assad regime is estimated at more than $20 billion to $27.5 billion over nine years.
On the South American and African continents, Russia’s partnership is limited to a few countries such as Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. These relationships are the exception rather than the norm in areas largely influenced by Western powers.
Russia has leveraged arms sales and private military contractors such as the Wagner Group to maintain influence in parts of Africa. However, these engagements are primarily transactional, and lack the depth of formal alliances.
Apart from India and China, Russia’s military partnership in the Asia-Pacific region is minimal. Countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia are associated with the United States and its allies.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia’s arms exports declined by 53% between 2014-18 and 2019-23.
In 2019, Russia exported arms to 31 countries, but by 2023 this number will reduce to only 12.
In 2019–23, 68% of total Russian arms exports went to Asia and Oceania. India and China dominated as recipients with 34% and 21% respectively. This trend shows that Russia’s influence is concentrated in a few key markets and highlights its low global reach in defense trade.
Furthermore, with the impact of competition, sanctions, and logistical challenges from other major arms exporters such as the United States and France, Russia’s ability to expand its arms trade has been significantly reduced.
The current geopolitical scenario further refutes Putin’s claim. The United Nations consists of 193 member countries. Most of these countries are not militarily engaged with Russia or engaged in military-technical cooperation. In contrast, many are either neutral or part of Western alliances, such as NATO and the European Union, that directly oppose Russian policies.
