Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi shared the same stage on Tuesday, speaking at a virtual summit of a Shanghai-headquartered regional security organization in the wake of an aborted Wagner mutiny that had political implications for both nations.
Both leaders spoke about the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional power bloc led by China and Russia that is aimed at countering perceived Western influence in Central Asia.
The Russian president praised the group’s support to the Kremlin during the short-lived revolt last month.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries who expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order life and safety of citizens,” Putin told the videoconference from the Kremlin. “We highly appreciate it.”…