Summit in Astana: Russia and China promote a multipolar world

The presidents of Russia and China met in Astana, Kazakhstan, during a summit that brought together several countries from Central Asia, where they advocated for a multipolar world in contrast to American unilateralism. In this meeting, the importance of forming an equitable world order and resisting external interference was emphasized, highlighting the tectonic changes occurring in global politics, the economy, and other spheres of international relations. Putin and Xi Jinping, leaders of Russia and China respectively, have strengthened their ties and constantly denounce the hegemony of the United States in international relations. This positioning is framed within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which also includes countries like Iran, India, and nations from Central Asia, and aims to counterbalance Western influence, focusing on security and economic issues. The accession of Belarus as the tenth member of the SCO, under the leadership of President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 30 years, reinforces these countries' vision of breaking down the walls of the unipolar world. This movement represents a challenge to Western influence and seeks to consolidate a multipolar order that promotes equity and justice in international relations. Amidst this summit, Vladimir Putin expressed his seriousness regarding comments made by U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claimed to be able to quickly end the war in Ukraine. Additionally, Putin considered the Taliban in Afghanistan as allies in the fight against terrorism, emphasizing the importance of stability in the region. The presence at the summit of leaders like Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, highlights the importance of this alliance in a complex geopolitical context. Despite representing 40% of the world's population and a significant portion of the global GDP, there are challenges and disagreements among SCO members, especially between Russia and China regarding their influence in Central Asia. Central Asia, a region rich in hydrocarbons and strategically important for the transportation of goods between Europe and Asia, has become a point of interest for Russia and China, who seek to maintain or increase their influence in the area. While Russia has sought to consolidate its presence in these countries since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, China has promoted the Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious infrastructure project to boost trade between the two continents. In this context, the summit in Kazakhstan represents a further step in the consolidation of a multipolar world order, where countries like Russia and China seek to strengthen alliances and resist Western hegemony. However, the complexity of interests at play and historical rivalries among some SCO members pose challenges to the cohesion of this alliance in the long term. Global geopolitics continues to evolve, and the summit in Astana is just one chapter in the complex web of contemporary international relations.