Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Putin and Xi hold talks at Bishkek SCO summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping began talks in Bishkek on Monday as leaders gathered for a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Xi told Putin he was “happy” to see him and said Russia-China ties had become “more solid”, adding that their “prospects will be even brighter”. He said uncertainty and unpredictability in the international order had increased.
Putin told Xi that cooperation between the two countries was “successfully developing on all fronts”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that the two leaders discussed the Ukraine war only “in passing”.
Putin also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Russian leader said Moscow was “following the path” toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine, without elaborating. US-brokered peace talks remain stalled.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were also among leaders attending the summit in the Kyrgyz capital. Putin is also expected to hold separate talks with Pezeshkian.
Pezeshkian, speaking to Modi in Bishkek after an exchange of fire between the United States and Iran, said Tehran still wanted “agreement and understanding” and that continuing the war was not in Iran’s interest or the region’s interest.
The meeting comes four and a half years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and six months into the war between Washington and Tehran. Western countries have called on Beijing to press Moscow to end its offensive, and US President Donald Trump has warned Moscow and Beijing against arming Iran.
The SCO is marking its 25th anniversary. The bloc has 10 members, 15 dialogue partners including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and two observer countries, Afghanistan and Mongolia. It has historically focused on economic issues but has gained momentum under Russian and Chinese leadership.
Update
Putin met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the summit and said Moscow was "following the path" toward resolving the Ukraine conflict, without elaborating.
The United States this month imposed secondary sanctions on Iran's trading partners in several sectors, according to the item.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged that Iran faces economic difficulties.
International relations expert Mohammad Hassan Najmi said Iran sees participation in alliances such as the SCO as a way to try to circumvent US and European sanctions, but said concrete benefits are uncertain.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 16:08:14 UTC.
Update
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping began talks in Bishkek on Monday.
Xi said Russia-China ties had become “more solid” and their prospects would be “even brighter”.
Putin said cooperation with China was developing on all fronts.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Xi discussed the Ukraine war only “in passing”.
Putin is expected to hold separate talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 14:29:36 UTC.
Update
Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Bishkek for the SCO summit.
Russian media reported that Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping upon arrival.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that continuing the war was not in Tehran's or the region's interest.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were also in Bishkek.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 12:27:43 UTC.
Update
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian was reported by Tehran's media to have arrived in Bishkek.
International relations expert Mohammad Hassan Najmi said Tehran sees active participation in such alliances as a way to circumvent US and European sanctions, while questioning the concrete benefits in crises.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 08:54:28 UTC.
Update
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Bishkek on Sunday and praised a “golden period” in relations with Kyrgyzstan.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to attend, though Turkey is not a formal member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The bloc now has 15 dialogue partners and two observer countries, Afghanistan and Mongolia.
The summit is taking place amid US tariff and sanctions pressure affecting China, India and Iran.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 02:07:40 UTC.
Update
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are expected in Bishkek for a two-day summit starting Monday, August 31.
Around a dozen heads of state are expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit marking the group's 25th anniversary.
Putin, Xi, Pezeshkian, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are due to attend a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.
Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov said Putin is expected to hold separate bilateral talks with Pezeshkian and Xi, among other leaders.
The item adds wider context on SCO membership, dialogue partners, US sanctions pressure on Iran and trade tensions involving China and India.
Source note: AFP news report published on 29 August 2026 at 01:19:47 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Peskov gave only a limited public description of the Putin-Xi discussion on Ukraine.
Putin did not elaborate on what he meant by Moscow “following the path” toward resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Source
AFP news report published on .