How Putin was repeatedly snubbed by countries he thought were his allies since invading Ukraine

Sinéad BakerJan 2, 2023, 19:41 IST

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks on the phone in his office in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in December 2018.Aleksey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

Some of Russia's longtime allies have snubbed the country and Putin since the Ukraine invasion.
Once-subservient allies are growing bolder, seeing Russia struggle to subdue a small neighbor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been a popular figure around the world since he invaded Ukraine in February.

While he has been outright rejected by Western leaders since it started in February, more interesting is how Russia's longtime allies have responded.

Though more subtly, many have shown they are not happy with the war. It has left Russia with only a handful of still-close allies that include the world's pariah states.

Here are the ways Putin has been snubbed since the war began:

Tajikistan's president appeared to berate Putin and demanded respect for his country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in December 2021.Sputnik/Evgeny Biyatov/Kremlin via REUTERS

Kazakhstan distanced itself from Russia, sent help to Ukraine, and sought to increase ties with the West.

Putin, right, and Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on November 28, 2022.Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Armenia's prime minister repeatedly snubbed Putin at a meeting of Putin's friends.

Armenia's prime minister and Russia's president among other Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) leaders in Yerevan, Armenia, on November 23, 2022.KAREN MINASYAN / AFP via Getty Images; Insider

Uzbekistan says it supports Ukraine's right to its territory.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and European Council President Charles Michel pose for a photo prior to their talks in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on October 28, 2022.Uzbekistan Presidential Press Service via AP

India has put its name to a criticism of Russia's war, and is calling for peace while maintaining a delicate balancing act.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives on the opening day of the winter session of the Parliament, in New Delhi, India, on December 7, 2022.AP Photo/Manish Swarup

China forced Putin to acknowledge its concerns about the war, and frowned on Putin's nuclear threats. But it is quietly strengthening economic ties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a photograph during their meeting in Beijing on February 4, 2022.Photo by ALEXEI DRUZHININ/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

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