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Visit to Moscow
Myanmar’s military-backed government head Min Aung Hlaing left for Russia on Monday for his first official visit since he assumed the presidency in April, according to state media cited by Reuters.
“Min Aung Hlaing left for Russia on Monday for his first official visit”
Reuters said Min Aung Hlaing’s trip is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and strategic cooperation, with the Myanmar presidency reporting he would meet President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials.
The Asian report from 朝日新聞 described Min Aung Hlaing departing from Naypyitaw international airport on Aug. 17, 2026, accompanied by members of his cabinet, to hold talks in Russia.
Reuters also said Russia is hoping to open up opportunities in Myanmar for its energy companies, after the two countries signed an agreement to construct a small-scale nuclear power plant in Myanmar when Min Aung Hlaing met Putin in 2025.
Sanctions and isolation
The Reuters report said Min Aung Hlaing is the subject of a raft of Western sanctions and has been on a quest for international legitimacy since winning a vote in parliament to become president.
In a separate account, The Diplomatic Insight said the visit signals a deliberate push by both countries to strengthen their strategic partnership at a time when Myanmar remains politically isolated from much of the international community.
The Diplomatic Insight added that Russia was one of the few countries that openly backed the junta after the 2021 military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government and plunged Myanmar into a civil war.
While the Myanmar trip was framed as diplomacy, The Moscow Times reported EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas telling Die Welt that the EU plans to significantly expand sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, including “the most far-reaching sanctions listings since the start of the war.”
Arms, energy, and stakes
Reuters said defence ties have grown in recent years with Moscow providing army training and university scholarships to thousands of Myanmar soldiers, as well as selling arms to a military blacklisted by some Western countries.
“Moscow providing army training and university scholarships to thousands of Myanmar soldiers”
The Diplomatic Insight stated that the Myanmar military uses Russian-made fighter jets in the operation against rebel factions and has been accused of targeting civilians in attacks that some conflict monitors say amount to war crimes.
The Diplomatic Insight also said Russia and Myanmar signed a five-year military cooperation pact in February 2026, and that for Russia Myanmar represents a foothold in Southeast Asia where Moscow has historically had limited influence.
South China Morning Post reported that Putin is set to host Min Aung Hlaing on Tuesday as the Southeast Asian leader seeks an economic reboot for his war-ravaged country and fresh supplies of fertiliser, oil and weapons, with talks focused on economic and security cooperation.