On the occasion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit underway in Tianjin, China (August 31-September 1st, 2025, see AVIONEWS), Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Indian leader Narendra Modi. After speaking with the two presidents, he stated that in order to achieve a stable peace in Ukraine, it is necessary to address the issue of Nato's eastward enlargement.

Relations between Russia and India appear to be evolving dynamically: Putin reportedly called Modi a "dear friend," and the Indian prime minister stated that leadership between the two countries remains a fundamental pillar of regional and global stability. India is also a major importer of Russian oil, like China, and has therefore been targeted by Donald Trump's tariffs in recent days. Despite this, there appears to be no intention of severing relations with Moscow; on the contrary, quite the opposite.

In addition to the relationship with India, relations between Russia and China are also strengthening. Following an initial meeting between Putin and Xi Jinping at the summit, according to Russian news agencies, the two leaders intend to meet tomorrow to discuss issues such as expanding bilateral economic cooperation, regional and international issues, and the war in Ukraine. Between September 1 and 2, Putin also plans to meet with other leaders, at around a dozen meetings already scheduled. On September 3, he will also be present in Beijing at the military parade marking the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific.

Today, during his address to the Sco Council of Heads of State meeting, Putin stated that "the pace of cooperation within the Sco is truly impressive". "For example, last year, the average Gdp growth of member states exceeded 5%, while industrial production increased by 4.6%", he specified. The Russian president then stated: "We support the issuance of joint bonds by Sco member states, the development of our own payment, settlement, and deposit infrastructure, and the creation of a bank for joint investment projects". Regarding mobility and trade, he explained: "A broad and competitive transport infrastructure is gradually taking shape within the SCO. Road, rail, and multimodal freight traffic is growing. Close customs cooperation has been established, and electronic document flow is being actively introduced". "The energy cooperation strategy up to 2030, approved last year, is now fully implemented. The sectoral roadmap we are adopting today builds on this strategy and aims to pursue a coordinated and balanced energy policy across the entire SCO area", he added, highlighting how ties between member states are also strengthening in the fields of science, education, healthcare, environmental protection, sport, and youth exchanges.