With Myanmar junta troops participating in Russia’s Victory Day parade on Friday, and junta boss Min Aung Hlaing attending the event in Moscow at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, ties between the two pariah states are warmer than ever.
Relations between Russia and Min Aung Hlaing’s Myanmar military date back to years before his coup in 2021, and the regime still relies on Moscow for military hardware, including jet fighters, as well as training.
Relations have grown considerably closer since his February 1, 2021 takeover. While the coup was internationally condemned, Moscow not only avoided denouncing it, but was in fact supportive, arguing that the Myanmar military is the “only viable guarantor of the multi-ethnic country’s unity and peace.” Along with China, the regime’s other major ally and arms supplier, Russia stood with the junta at the UN Security Council to deter international action against the regime.
In 2021 and 2022, Min Aung Hlaing went to Russia three times on unofficial visits, mainly to strengthen military and economic ties, as his regime was ostracized by the West for his bloody response to the Myanmar people’s resistance to his rule.
But ties reached a higher level in March this year when he was finally granted an official reception by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. During the visit, he was invited to join Friday’s Victory Day parade.
Analysts said both were golden opportunities for Min Aung Hlaing, who has been desperate for international recognition.
When T-34 tanks and thousands of Russian troops—alongside soldiers from 13 foreign countries, including Myanmar—descended on Moscow’s Red Square on Friday, Min Aung Hlaing was among invited dignitaries from 29 countries attending the celebration of the Soviet triumph against Nazi Germany 80 years ago. The current trip to Moscow is his second this year at the invitation of the Russian president.
The junta media stated that Min Aung Hlaing’s visit would focus on strengthening cooperation with Russia in economic, security and other sectors. He is also expected to hold private meetings with other international leaders attending the event.
While he met with Min Aung Hlaing in March, it is not known whether Putin will see the Myanmar junta boss this time. As Chinese President Xi Jinping is also in Moscow on a state visit, there’s speculation that Min Aung Hlaing will try to meet him, as Xi hasn’t invited him to Beijing since the 2021 coup. Like Russia, China is a major ally of the junta. In addition to selling arms to the regime, Beijing has thrown it a lifeline by pressuring ethnic armed groups that have been fighting the junta to strike peace deals.
So far, the only international leader Min Aung Hlaing has held talks with is Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Takayev. They met on Thursday to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation, according to junta-run media.
When Min Aung Hlaing headed for Moscow in March, he was joined by a group of business cronies and the junta’s economic czar, Nyo Saw, helping to deepen economic ties between the two autocratic states. During that trip, Myanmar and Russia signed 10 agreements to cooperate in various sectors including trade, nuclear technology, banking, mining, information technology, tourism and energy.
This time, senior military officials like Chief of General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) General Kyaw Swa Lin, Defense Minister General Maung Maung Aye—both of whom have been point men for the junta’s military cooperation with Russia—and others are in attendance.
In Moscow, while Min Aung Hlaing engaged in diplomatic activities, Maung Maung Aye held talks with Russian Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Alexander Fomin on enhancing cooperation in the military technology, defense and security sectors, and training for Myanmar military personnel.
Analysts also believe Min Aung Hlaing could meet officials from Russia’s state nuclear power corporation Rosatom over the status of plans to construct a small-scale nuclear power plant close to Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw, after the city suffered widespread damage in a 7.7-magnitude quake on March 28.
Following the quake, Rosatom pressed on with its plan to build the plant, saying “the recent earthquake has not affected Rosatom’s plans in Myanmar.”
