President Vladimir Putin is drawing sharp battle lines between East and West ahead of the SCO Summit, framing a world divided into two competing systems. His narrative pits a cooperative, development-focused East against a coercive, sanctions-happy West.
The Eastern bloc, in his telling, is led by the “unprecedented” Russia-China alliance. This bloc is focused on tearing down trade barriers, investing in infrastructure, and building a “fairer, multipolar world” based on mutual respect and international law.
The Western bloc, led by the US and EU, is characterized by its use of “discriminatory sanctions.” Putin accuses this bloc of using its economic power to “hinder” the development of rising powers and maintain a unipolar hegemony that benefits only itself.
By presenting this stark dichotomy, Putin is forcing a choice upon the nations gathered at the SCO. He is making a powerful argument that their future lies in aligning with the rising East, presenting the summit as a key moment to consolidate this emerging Eurasian-centric world order.
A World Divided: Putin Draws Battle Lines Between East and West at SCO
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Photo By Presidential Executive Office of Russia, via wikimedia commons