MOSCOW – Chinese leader Xi Jinping will pay an official visit to Russia from May 7–10, the Kremlin confirmed Sunday.

Xi was already among the leaders set to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9.

The Kremlin announced that Xi Jinping is visiting Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. Besides participating in the Victory Day festivities, the two leaders will discuss the “progress of their comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation” as well as “current international and regional topics.”

Putin and Xi will sign a number of bilateral documents, it said.

This will mark Xi’s third trip to Russia since Russian forces entered Ukraine in February 2022. Although China claims a neutral stance on the conflict, it supports Russia’s view that Western actions provoked the situation and continues to provide crucial materials Moscow needs for weapons manufacturing.

Xi’s last visit to Russia occurred in September 2024 during a BRICS summit for fast-developing economies. He previously made a state visit in March 2023, with Putin returning the gesture by visiting China in October of the same year. The leaders also convened in Beijing in May 2024, marking Putin’s first international trip during his fifth term, and later met in Kazakhstan in July.

After launching what the Kremlin insists on calling a “special military operation” in Ukraine, Russia has become increasingly dependent economically on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system. China’s increased trade with Russia has helped the country mitigate some of the worst blows from the sanctions.

Moscow has diverted the bulk of its energy exports to China and relied on Chinese companies to import high-tech components for Russian military industries to circumvent Western sanctions.

The leaders of Russia and China have developed strong personal ties that helped boost the relations between Moscow and Beijing.

Moscow accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday of threatening the safety of dignitaries attending Victory Day celebrations after he dismissed Russia’s unilateral 72-hour ceasefire. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine cannot provide security assurances to foreign officials planning to visit Russia around May 9, warning that Moscow could stage provocations and later attempt to blame Ukraine.