Vladimir Putin To Travel Outside Russia For 1st Time Since Ukraine Invasion Began: Report

Russian President Vladimir Putin will make his first trip abroad since ordering the invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing the Russian state television.

What Happened: Putin will reportedly visit two small former Soviet states in central Asia this week, a first since the Feb. 24 invasion that killed thousands of people and displaced millions in Ukraine.

The Russian President’s actions have also drawn severe financial sanctions from the West.

Putin has said the sanctions are a reason to build stronger trade ties with other powers such as China, India and Iran.

The 69-year-old leader last traveled abroad to Beijing in early February, where he and Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a "no limits" friendship treaty hours before both attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games.

See Also: Putin's Inner Circle Plotting Coup, Former CIA Official Says: 'It'll Happen All Of A Sudden And He'll Be Dead'

Where’s Putin Going? The latest foreign trip would include a visit to close ally Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, followed by a meeting with the Indonesian President Joko Widodo for talks in Moscow, the report said, citing the Russian state television Rossiya 1.

Putin will also attend a summit of Caspian nations, including the leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkmenistan, in Ashgabat.

The Russian President also plans to visit the Belarus city of Grodno on June 30 and July 1 to take part in a forum with President Alexander Lukashenko.