On the global geopolitical chessboard, President Vladimir Putin’s pre-summit pronouncements represent a major gambit, using the SCO as a key piece to challenge long-standing US dominance. His moves are calculated to counter Western influence in Eurasia and beyond.
One key move is consolidating his alliance with China, his most powerful piece. By declaring their partnership “unprecedented” and highlighting their de-dollarized trade, he is fortifying his position and creating a powerful axis that the West cannot easily break.
Another move is to attack the West’s primary weapon: sanctions. By labeling them “discriminatory” and a “hindrance” to global development, he attempts to undermine their legitimacy on the world stage, rallying other nations to his side.
His ultimate gambit is the promotion of a “fairer, multipolar world order” with a new Eurasian security architecture. This is an attempt to rewrite the rules of the game entirely, moving the center of gravity away from Washington and towards a new concert of powers based in Asia. The SCO summit is where he will formally play this move.