Putin and Xi Meet in Kyrgyzstan for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on Monday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, during a two day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The meeting, which marks the 25th anniversary of the bloc, focused on deepening strategic coordination and strengthening the role of the SCO. President Xi stated that the organization has a mission to safeguard regional stability and promote development amid international uncertainty, while President Putin noted that cooperation between the two nations is developing on all fronts. The two leaders last met in May.

Other heads of state attending the summit include India's Narendra Modi, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, and Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif. President Putin also met with Prime Minister Modi and is expected to hold separate talks with President Pezeshkian. During a conversation with Modi, Pezeshkian stated that continuing the war between Washington and Tehran is not in the interest of Iran or the region.

The summit occurs against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tension. The SCO is described by multiple reports as seeking to be a counterbalance to the West. Current conflicts include the invasion of Ukraine and the war between Washington and Tehran, as well as trade disputes involving US tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods. While the Kremlin stated that the Ukraine war was only discussed in passing between Putin and Xi, Western countries have urged Beijing to pressure Moscow to end the offensive. Additionally, the US has recently imposed secondary sanctions on Iranian trading partners, prompting China to state it will firmly defend its interests.

Center leaning reports frame the event as a strategic effort by the SCO to act as a counterbalance to Western influence. Center right leaning reports emphasize the strategic ties between Xi and Putin as a response to mounting tensions with Washington and its allies.