Kathrine Frich
Vladimir Putin has depended on a small circle of international partners to sustain his campaign and counter Western pressure.
From military supplies to diplomatic backing, these alliances have helped Moscow project strength beyond its borders.
But since the invasion of Ukraine began, that circle has steadily shrunk. One by one, key allies have been removed from power, leaving the Kremlin increasingly isolated.
Third ally gone
The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes marks the third major partner Putin has effectively lost since launching the full-scale invasion in 2022.
In December 2024, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was forced from power by opposition forces and later granted asylum in Moscow.
In January this year, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro was removed in a US-backed military operation. Now Khamenei has been killed in an attack that Russia was unable or unwilling to prevent.
“Putin is weakened. The war in Ukraine means he can no longer project his power globally as he once did. This shows that Russia’s allies can no longer count on protection if the United States attacks,” said Poul Erik Skammelsen, former Moscow correspondent for Denmark’s TV 2.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also pointed to the pattern. Writing on X, he said Putin has lost three close partners in just over a year and “has not helped any of them.”
Strategic setback
For decades, Iran and Russia shared opposition to the United States and cooperated in Syria and across the Middle East.
Since autumn 2022, Tehran has supplied Moscow with Shahed drones used extensively in Ukraine. Reuters has reported that Iran also delivered ballistic missiles to Russia.
Despite this close cooperation, the Kremlin response to Khamenei’s death was largely symbolic.
According to Russian state media, Putin called the killing a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.” There was no indication of direct military support.
Rasmus Tantholdt, international correspondent for TV 2, said Russia risks losing one of its most important strategic partners outside Europe.
“If the clerical regime weakens or disappears, Russia loses both a military partner and regional influence. At the same time, it undermines Putin’s key promise to authoritarian partners worldwide that Moscow can protect its friends from Western pressure,” he said.
Isolation deepens
Kristeligt Dagblad’s Middle East correspondent Allan Sørensen said the strikes on Iran also exposed the vulnerability of Russian-supplied air defense systems.
“Iran is yet another friend in the classroom who has left, leaving Russia even more isolated on the world stage,” he said.
Should Iran’s regime collapse, Sørensen added, any new leadership would likely be less aligned with Moscow and more indebted to Washington and its allies, similar to developments in Syria after Assad’s fall.
Russia and Iran formalized a strategic partnership just over a year ago. However, the broader trend suggests Moscow’s influence is contracting as the war in Ukraine continues.
With three allies gone since 2022, Putin faces a narrower network of partners and a growing challenge in maintaining Russia’s status as a global power.
Sources: TV 2 Denmark; Reuters; TASS;
