MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/. Russia and China are expected to use Putin’s Beijing visit to strengthen strategic ties and promote a shared vision of a multipolar global security system; Russia launches large-scale nuclear exercises aimed at strengthening deterrence capabilities; and the US temporarily delays planned strikes on Iran, while neither Washington nor Tehran has shown readiness for further compromise. These stories topped Wednesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Izvestia: Russia, China seek to shape new global security framework during Putin’s Beijing visit
Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, which began on May 19 in Beijing, is expected to outline Russia and China’s shared vision for the future global security system. Discussions in the Chinese capital are expected to focus not merely on the peaceful settlement of individual conflicts, but on future cooperation among major powers. Experts interviewed by Izvestia believe that China could, for example, host the next meeting between Putin and Trump at the upcoming APEC summit. Officials from the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia that the platform could serve to promote dialogue among Russia, China, and the United States.
The signing of an agreement on the further strengthening of their comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation is expected to be the main outcome of the visit. Particular attention is also being paid to the Declaration on the Emergence of a Multipolar World and a New Type of International Relations.
"The Russia-China declaration can be viewed as an alternative proposal for the architecture of global security. It could realistically unite a broad group of developing countries concerned about unpredictable US actions and the collapse of previous agreements," Vasily Kashin, Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.
The Chinese side has also increasingly spoken about the need for changes in the system of international relations, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at RUDN University Evgeny Semibratov noted. In his assessment, Putin’s trip to China could become one of the most significant geopolitical events of 2026, as the two sides are expected to reaffirm their commitment to promoting a multipolar world.
Media outlets largely agree on a key point - the United States, China, and Russia will play a defining role in shaping the future structure of international relations. The next major political event could be the APEC summit in November 2026.
"This platform is in high demand for building pragmatic dialogue among such major economies as Russia, China, and the United States. What is needed is political will and readiness for equal dialogue without a hidden agenda," Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Marat Berdyev told Izvestia.
Vedomosti: Russia launches unprecedented nuclear drills aimed at signaling deterrence to NATO
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that nuclear force exercises are taking place on May 19-21, involving the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, Long-Range Aviation Command, and part of the forces of the Leningrad and Central military districts. According to the ministry, the exercises are intended to improve the skills of command and operational personnel, ensure command over subordinate forces during the preparation and implementation of deterrence measures against a potential adversary, as well as to test the preparedness of forces assigned to preventing aggression and assess their readiness for combat deployment. Experts told Vedomosti they believe the exercises are primarily intended to strengthen nuclear deterrence and send a signal to NATO, while remaining a routine and standard practice for a nuclear power rather than a sign of imminent strategic escalation.
Exercises focused on preparations for the use of nuclear forces are primarily intended as a signal to European and American supporters of Ukraine, who have become deeply involved in backing Kiev under the assumption that Russia is unlikely to resort to nuclear weapons, President of the Russian International Affairs Council Dmitry Trenin told the newspaper.
According to Viktor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of Arsenal Otechestva magazine, the geography of the exercises indicates that one of their objectives is to deter European NATO countries. However, he stressed that unfriendly European states are not the only key targets for Russia’s nuclear forces.
Nuclear deterrence forces periodically need to conduct exercises, and comprehensive drills aimed at practicing coordinated actions among forces and assets under different chains of command are also reasonable, researcher at the Center for International Security of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations Dmitry Stefanovich told the newspaper. He emphasized that this is an entirely normal procedure for any nuclear power.
A major escalation in the sphere of strategic weapons is unlikely, but the role of nuclear weapons in international security will become even more significant. The exercises will also attract attention at the ongoing Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in New York. At the same time, Stefanovich concluded that all nuclear powers engage in similar activities.
Vedomosti: US delay of strikes on Iran leaves Middle East in fragile military limbo
Just hours before a planned military operation against Iran, the White House unexpectedly announced that it was postponing the operation for several days. The situation remains at a standstill, while neither side has demonstrated readiness for compromise, Vedomosti writes. US President Donald Trump told reporters that Washington had paused strikes against Iran for two to three days at the request of the authorities of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, speaking only hours before the attack on Tehran that he himself had previously announced. At the same time, Trump wrote on his Truth Social page that he had instructed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and the US military command to remain prepared to launch a full-scale offensive against the Islamic Republic at any moment.
Against this backdrop, neither the US nor Iranian authorities have publicly shown any signs of possible compromise capable of breaking the negotiating deadlock. On the contrary, the sides are "constantly changing the rules of the game," making the international crisis increasingly unpredictable, an unnamed Pakistani source whose country is acting as a mediator in the Iranian-American conflict told Reuters.
The likelihood of a resumption of hostilities in the Middle East at this stage remains low, Ilya Vaskin, junior researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern, Caucasus, and Central Asian Studies at the Higher School of Economics, told Vedomosti. In his view, the upcoming US midterm congressional elections are pushing Trump toward a more cautious foreign policy approach. However, in the event of renewed escalation, the US would still likely limit itself to airstrikes on Iranian targets, the expert believes.
According to Vaskin, the current "neither war nor peace" situation does not serve the interests of either side. On the one hand, Iran’s resources are significantly constrained and the regime has been partially disorganized by the war. On the other hand, US policy is heavily influenced by American voters dissatisfied with declining living standards and with what they see as Trump’s broken promises. "The sides could remain in this interim state from several months to several years," the expert added.
Conditions for a compromise agreement are not yet ready, making the likelihood of renewed war in the Middle East relatively high, Doctor of Political Science at the University of Salzburg Kamran Gasanov told the newspaper. In his opinion, the current regional situation still serves Iran’s interests. "By contrast, ahead of the midterm elections, it is important for Trump to demonstrate tangible results from his Middle East policy to his voters, whether through the seizure of Kharg Island or the removal of Iranian enriched uranium. Regular bombing campaigns would not bring the American president any political dividends," the political scientist said.
Izvestia: Ukraine corruption scandals threaten Kiev’s Western funding, EU ambitions
Kiev is part of a unified corruption network together with its Western handlers, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Izvestia. Washington has launched investigations into at least 56 cases of fraud involving transferred financial assistance. At the same time, Ukraine does not even conduct audits of the foreign funds it receives, while outsiders are barred from any inspections, Zakharova said. The report emerged following the corruption scandal surrounding former head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office Andrey Yermak, to which Brussels has so far reacted cautiously. Experts believe the developments could hinder Ukraine not only from joining the European Union, but also from continuing to receive EU funding.
"This is a fairly simple scheme that no one has particularly tried to hide. Money is taken by unfriendly regimes from the pockets of their taxpayers under the pretext of preserving certain Western values, solidarity, and amid anti-Russian alarmist rhetoric," the diplomat noted.
Statements by US authorities regarding corruption in Ukraine can be viewed as self-exposure, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin told Izvestia. According to him, several Western countries, not just the United States, France, and Germany, should be involved in investigating corruption in Ukraine.
The European Commission reacted to the Yermak case in an extremely diplomatic manner, stating that the investigation demonstrates the effectiveness and independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption system. At the same time, the EU usually takes a far harsher stance toward countries it accuses of corruption, whether unfriendly states or even members of the bloc. The Yermak scandal will certainly not help Ukraine join the bloc, Professor of the Financial University under the Russian Government Sergey Tolkachev told the newspaper.
"The European Union wants to preserve the issue of Ukraine’s European integration as leverage against Russia. The EU is very eager to provoke Russia with the possibility of admitting Ukraine into its ranks. But the Yermak case seriously undermines the EU’s well-established propaganda campaign," he noted.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta: US extension of Russian oil waivers unlikely to curb rising global crude prices
The US Treasury Department’s decision to extend for 30 days the license allowing third countries to purchase Russian oil is unlikely to have a serious impact on crude prices, though it will at least avoid adding further negativity to the broader information environment. Market reaction to the announcement appeared to confirm this assessment -- Brent crude prices fell by less than 2%, while remaining above $110 per barrel. Experts interviewed by Rossiyskaya Gazeta believe the US extension of sanctions waivers for Russian oil has mainly stabilized market sentiment rather than increased supply, while oil prices will continue to depend primarily on the situation around Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Konstantin Simonov, Head of the National Energy Security Fund, told the newspaper that the market had expected the United States to extend the license permitting third countries to buy Russian oil. However, oil prices did not react to the decision because the market continues to believe that the United States will soon reach peace with Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen. Were it not for those expectations, crude prices would currently be significantly higher, the expert believes.
A similar view was expressed by Daniil Tyun, CEO of DA-Consulting. In his opinion, the extension merely reduced part of the panic. No new barrels have appeared on the market, but at least existing Russian supply has not declined. The expert expects that if transit through the Strait of Hormuz is not normalized during the remaining days of May, oil prices could rise to $115-125 per barrel.
For Russia, the extension of the sanctions exemptions creates an opportunity to continue selling oil for another month without incurring additional transportation, insurance and trading costs.
According to Tyun, the move reduces the risk of tanker cargoes becoming stranded and simplifies settlements for buyers in Asia. The previous extension helped maintain supplies to India near record levels, while April shipments from Russia’s western ports generally remained at March levels and may even have increased in May. In addition, pressure on the discount for Russian oil is easing. Buyers are no longer demanding discounts linked to sanctions risks, allowing Russia to continue selling oil at higher prices.
The expert believes that the rational strategy for Russia is not to "defeat" the United States in its own markets, but rather to maximize monetization of exports primarily to India, China and several other Asian countries, while weathering the period of expensive transport logistics.
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