On his state visit to Russia this week, the first ever by a Malaysian king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar praised President Vladimir Putin’s leadership, signalling a deepening partnership between two nations increasingly seeking trade and diplomatic ties free from Washington’s influence.
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The United States earlier this month imposed a tariff regime that affects both Malaysia and Russia, and is reportedly preparing new sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Kuala Lumpur has for months now been seeking to expand its trade partnerships, searching for alternative markets globally as US tariffs threaten to choke off access to its largest export market.
Russia, for its part, wants more partners willing to help sustain its sanctioned economy – especially its critical energy exports that the United States and Europe have attempted to shun.
Sultan Ibrahim’s six-day state visit to Russia from Tuesday followed closely on the heels of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s meeting with Putin in May, when the Russian leader spoke of “concrete plans” to boost economic and energy cooperation.
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