After crushing the Wagner rebellion, Russian President Vladimir Putin is all set to make his first international appearance virtually by attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping, among others .
The 70-year-old Russian leader will take part virtually on Tuesday as the host announced in May that the summit would be held online, with Iran also participating as a full member for the first time.
The world waits to see how the Russian president performs at the international event after successfully neutralizing a small-scale insurgency by Wagner, a private military contractor led by his former ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.
During the chaotic days, mercenaries claimed control of some military facilities in two Russian cities, with large numbers of trained fighters headed towards Moscow.
Faced with an uprising, the Kremlin deployed heavily armed troops to the streets of the Russian capital in what appeared to be a civil war.
The rebellion was ended within days after the Russian authorities reached an agreement with the Wagner chief that he would be deported to neighboring Belarus.
Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at the US-based think tank RAND Corporation, said: “It’s virtual, so they’re not going to be there in person, otherwise they would have been standing by each other, showing fellow colossal strength.”
“If Putin is somehow shaken by this [insurrection] Clearly, then this would tell them something – that even the strongest are not immune to potential insurgencies within their own countries,” Grossman said.
The China-led SCO is focused on enhancing regional security and economic cooperation, combating terrorism and drug trafficking, fighting climate change and the situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban take over Kabul in 2021.
According to analysts, since the Ukrainian conflict was not included in the SCO foreign minister’s meeting in India in May, it had an impact on countries around the world.
The forum – which came into existence in 2001 – is important for Russia because it shows the West cannot afford to isolate Moscow.
“This SCO meeting is really one of the few opportunities globally in which Putin will have to demonstrate strength and credibility,” said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute.
“Putin will want to reassure his allies that he is still in charge, and that there is no doubt that challenges to his government have been crushed,” said Tanvi Madan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
The meeting provides an opportunity for India to show its diplomatic strength by showing that it is a strong country in the region, as PM Narendra Modi was hosted at the White House during his official visit to the US last month, where he met several business leaders and others. had met
Referring to India’s camaraderie with the West and its adversaries, Grossman said, “India prides itself in this type of foreign policy where it treats and deals with everyone at the same time.”
Trying to position itself as a global power, analysts said China is becoming a major player in fora such as the SCO, where countries such as Myanmar, Turkey and Afghanistan have shown increased interest in full membership in recent years.
“For countries uncomfortable with the West and their foreign policies, the SCO is a welcome alternative, primarily because of the roles of Russia and China. … I think it highlights that this grouping is a very difficult place for many Western countries.” How relevant and worrying that could be for Capitals, especially if it continues to expand,” Kugelman said.
