At the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Russian President Vladimir Putin endorsed Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s proposal for reforming the global governance system, calling for a fairer and more balanced world order.
SCO Summit in Tianjin
The SCO summit, held from August 31 to September 1, gathered representatives from 24 countries and 8 international organizations. Alongside Putin and Xi, leaders such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended. Putin arrived in China at Xi’s invitation and will remain until September 3, when he will attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Upon arrival, the Russian leader was welcomed by Chinese musicians performing the folk song Kalinka-Malinka.
Putin Meets World Leaders
On the sidelines of the summit, Putin held meetings with several leaders. He and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled together in an Aurus limousine for talks on Ukraine and bilateral cooperation. Modi stressed India’s support for peace efforts and invited Putin to visit New Delhi for the annual summit in December.
“We welcome all recent efforts to establish peace and hope all parties approach this issue constructively,” Modi said.
Putin also met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Putin on Ukraine Conflict
In his remarks, Putin reiterated that the roots of the Ukraine conflict lie in the West’s attempts to draw the country into NATO and in the 2014 government coup in Kyiv, which he said was supported by Western powers.
“The reason for the crisis lies in constant attempts by the West to pull Ukraine into NATO, which we have warned for many years poses a direct threat to Russia’s security,” Putin stated.
He stressed that resolving the crisis requires eliminating its root causes and restoring a balance of power in global security. Putin expressed hope that his recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska would “open the road to peace.”
Backing Xi’s Call for Global Reform
Xi Jinping urged SCO members to create a more just and equitable system of global governance based on international law and multilateralism. Putin fully endorsed the initiative, suggesting that the SCO could lead this transformation.
“The SCO could take a leading role in shaping a more just and equitable system of global governance, rooted in international law and the UN Charter,” Putin said.
He emphasized that such a system should balance interests, support development, and ensure security for a broad range of states. Leaders of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus also voiced support.
SCO Declaration and UN Reform
The summit concluded with the Tianjin Declaration, which called for reforming the United Nations to reflect modern realities and provide greater representation for developing countries. Notably, the declaration made no mention of the Ukraine conflict — echoing last year’s Astana declaration, which also avoided the topic.
