Putin's first foreign trip amid Ukraine war; To visit Tajikistan & Turkmenistan

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit two small former Soviet States in Central Asia this week according to Russian TV. Putin will visit Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In Dushanbe, Putin will meet Tajik President Imomali Rakhmon, a close Russian ally. While in Ashgabat, he will attend a summit of Caspian nations including leaders of Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan. This would be the Russian leader's first known trip abroad since ordering the invasion of Ukraine.