Tianjin, China — Russian president Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin on Sunday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, a gathering that underscores Moscow’s determination to reshape global security in partnership with China and other regional powers. The summit, hosted by Chinese president Xi Jinping, brings together leaders from India, Turkiye, and several Central Asian states, with discussions focused on curbing Western dominance in international affairs.
Putin’s presence in China highlights the Kremlin’s growing reliance on Beijing as its key strategic partner. Xi and Putin, who last met in May during Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow, are expected to hold separate bilateral talks in Beijing later this week. Observers believe their discussions will not only center on trade and energy but also on wider coordination in countering NATO and Western sanctions.
While Russia consolidates its diplomatic front, the war in Ukraine continues to escalate. Over the weekend, Ukraine endured one of the largest Russian aerial assaults in months. The strikes spanned 14 regions, unleashing more than 500 drones and dozens of missiles on cities including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro. At least one civilian was killed and 24 others wounded, including children. Tens of thousands of households were left without electricity after Russian forces hit power installations.
Ukraine’s military countered by launching drone strikes on Russian oil facilities, signaling that Kyiv is expanding its reach deeper into Russian territory. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that Ukraine would continue to retaliate, urging Western allies to impose harsher sanctions on Moscow. European leaders, including Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz, echoed calls for new punitive measures, arguing that only economic and military weakening of Russia could shorten the conflict.
Yet cracks are visible among Western allies. Reports suggest some US officials believe certain European governments are encouraging Zelenskyy to hold out for a more favorable settlement with Moscow, inadvertently prolonging the war. This divergence highlights growing unease over Washington’s strategy, especially as the conflict drags into its third year with no decisive outcome.
On the battlefield, Ukraine claims that Russia has failed to capture any major Ukrainian city this summer despite Moscow’s boasts of territorial gains. The Kremlin asserts it has secured control of thousands of square kilometers and dozens of villages, but Kyiv disputes these claims and insists Russian forces have suffered heavy losses around key hubs like Pokrovsk.
The SCO summit, dominated by optics of Putin and Xi standing shoulder to shoulder, sends a clear message: Russia and China are deepening their alignment at a moment when Western nations are struggling to present a united front on Ukraine. The unfolding dynamics, both on the battlefield and in global diplomacy, point to a prolonged confrontation where the balance of power is increasingly contested.
According to The Guardian, the unfolding situation in Ukraine and the diplomatic maneuvers surrounding the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin remain at the forefront of global attention.
The outlet’s live coverage provides real-time updates on Russia’s ongoing military operations in Ukraine, Ukraine’s retaliatory strikes, and the geopolitical positioning of major powers such as China, India, and Turkiye.
By tracking battlefield developments alongside summit diplomacy, the reporting highlights the dual nature of the conflict, one fought both with weapons on the ground and alliances across negotiating tables.
