Xi and Putin Strengthen Ties at SCO Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, highlighting their strengthened partnership against Western influence. Both leaders emphasized the tectonic shifts in global politics and the need for a multipolar world order. Xi and Putin have reinforced the SCO's role as a counterweight to the West, with the bloc now including India, Iran, and Pakistan among others. Putin proposed a new Eurasian security system to gradually remove external military presence, primarily targeting U.S. influence. Turkish President Erdogan also attended, advocating for a balanced peace in Ukraine. The summit underscores the deepening Russo-Chinese ties amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.