Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Kyrgyzstan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, where they reaffirmed their strategic alliance amid global uncertainty. This meeting was their first since May. Xi expressed happiness in meeting Putin again and noted that bilateral ties between China and Russia have become 'more solid.' He emphasized that this relationship should continue despite the increasing 'uncertainty and unpredictability in the international order.' Xi also mentioned that there are 'even brighter' prospects for future relations.
Putin agreed with Xi, stating that 'cooperation is successfully developing on all fronts.' The two-day SCO summit in Bishkek marks the 25th anniversary of the organization, which includes over a dozen heads of state, such as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The summit occurs four-and-a-half years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine and six months into tensions between the United States and Iran. Putin and Xi have previously used SCO summits to advocate for a multipolar world and to present a united front against Western influence.
Due to Western sanctions related to the Ukraine invasion, Russia's economy has become increasingly reliant on China. Western countries have urged Beijing to pressure Moscow to cease its military actions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that the discussions between Putin and Xi primarily focused on economic relations, with only brief mentions of the Ukraine conflict.
Putin also held discussions with Modi, who expressed New Delhi's willingness to work towards resolving the Ukraine conflict. Putin stated that Moscow is 'following the path' toward a resolution but did not provide further details. Peace negotiations, facilitated by the United States, remain stalled, although reports indicated that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow for talks.
Putin is expected to have additional discussions with Pezeshkian. Both Russia and Iran have strengthened military and economic ties since the Ukraine invasion, with Iran supplying drones to Russia. US President Donald Trump has cautioned both Moscow and Beijing against providing arms to Iran, and US media speculated that Ratcliffe's visit included warnings to Russia regarding arms supplies to Tehran.
After the first exchange of fire between the United States and Iran in a month, Pezeshkian stated that continuing the war is not in Iran's interests, emphasizing the need for agreement and understanding.
Putin, Xi, Pezeshkian, Modi, and Sharif are scheduled to participate in a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov. The SCO now includes 10 member states, 15 dialogue partners, and two observer countries: Afghanistan and Mongolia. The bloc claims to represent approximately 40 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of global GDP, though it faces internal disagreements among its members.