NEW YORK, November 2. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is successfully countering Western attempts to isolate Moscow internationally, The New York Times’ Moscow bureau chief Paul Sonne wrote in an article published on the newspaper’s website.

"President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia engaged in a frenzy of diplomatic activity in the Russian capital this past week that underscored how, nearly five years into his war against Ukraine, he is thwarting Western attempts to isolate him and muscling his way back to center stage in global affairs," the article said.

Sonne described events such as Putin’s telephone conversation last week with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store as "rare." He also cited visits by African leaders to Moscow and engagement with the US administration as evidence of Russia’s active diplomacy.

"As Mr. Putin chips away at his ostracism in the West, relations between the United States and Ukraine have continued to deteriorate, underscoring Kiev’s vulnerability ahead of what is expected to be the worst winter of the war," Sonne added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously said the West was promoting the idea of Russia’s supposed "international isolation," although the country’s diplomatic activity demonstrated that no such isolation existed. He noted that, despite all the talk of isolation, Russia continues to participate actively in international forums. By expanding its foreign ties, Russia "seeks to make the most of the opportunities opening up in this area to make its citizens’ lives safer and better in every respect," Lavrov said.