Relationship dossier
Myanmar
Russia
Relationship assessment
Close political and military cooperation, particularly between Russia and Myanmar’s military authorities
Myanmar toward Russia
+60Myanmar’s military authorities have publicly supported Russia’s position on the war in Ukraine and pursued high-level political and military engagement with Moscow, including visits by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.
Russia toward Myanmar
+70Russia has maintained high-level engagement with Myanmar’s military authorities since the 2021 coup and has supplied military equipment. Russian officials have also supported continued political and military ties with the authorities.
Overall relationship
+65The relationship is characterized by sustained political engagement and military cooperation, including Russian arms supplies and support for Myanmar’s military authorities, alongside their public backing of Russia’s position on Ukraine. Myanmar’s post-coup political crisis complicates its international representation and the continuity of state policy.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Myanmar’s military authorities have publicly backed Russia’s actions in Ukraine and pursued close political and military ties. Russia has supplied military equipment and maintained high-level engagement with the authorities after the 2021 coup. The relationship is substantially cooperative, though Myanmar’s political crisis and competing claims to represent the country complicate its international stance.
Key developments
Myanmar’s military authorities publicly endorsed Russia’s position on its invasion of Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin met Min Aung Hlaing during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of military, energy and nuclear cooperation are unclear.
- Myanmar’s international representation and foreign-policy positions have been contested since the 2021 coup.