President Putin Ensures Russian Stability in the Face of Xi Jinping, Iranian Leaders to the UN Secretary General After the Wagner Uprising

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin assured his allies, Asian leaders of Russia's stability and unity on Tuesday, in his first appearance at an international forum since the country was rocked by a brief armed uprising last month.

"The Russian people are consolidated more than ever," President Putin said during a virtual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as reported by Reuters on July 4.

"Russia's political circle and the whole of society clearly demonstrated their unity and high sense of responsibility for the fate of the Motherland, when they responded as a united front against attempts at armed rebellion," President Putin continued.

Quoting the Kremlin, the meeting this time took place under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and was attended by heads of state or heads of government of all member countries, including: President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Also present were Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh as heads of observer states. Meanwhile, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov was invited as a guest from the Indian side.

The heads of the SCO's permanent bodies and the heads of delegations from several invited international organizations and associations also attended the meeting, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

In his speech, President Putin thanked SCO members who he said had expressed support for his efforts "to protect the constitutional order, life and security of citizens".

President Putin said Russia would oppose Western pressure, sanctions and "provocations" imposed for what Moscow called a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

At the same time, he said Moscow plans to improve relations with the SCO and support the transition to local currency settlements in foreign trade.

Putin's emphasis on Russian unity at a meeting with key allies appears to be indicative of his efforts to allay doubts about his own authority on the world stage, after a brief uprising led by the founder of the Wagner Group mercenary, Yevgeny Prigozhin, late last month. The uprising was quelled in a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Russia is known to view countries such as China, India to Iran - the newest members of the SCO - as key partners in confronting the United States and countering what it describes as US attempts to dictate world order.