INSIDE RUSSIA

 The Russian leader highlighted the significance of study-abroad programs for cultural ties

TIANJIN, September 1. /TASS/. Russia will continue to offer educational opportunities for Nepali students, President Vladimir Putin told Nepali Prime Minister Sharma Oli.

"From the point of view of humanitarian cooperation, we pay serious attention to continuing cultural and educational contacts, among other things. We will be happy to continue this area of our cooperation. You said that Nepalis are interested in education in Russia in various fields. Of course, we will cooperate in finding the most interesting and promising areas in the field of education," the Russian leader said.

He highlighted the significance of study-abroad programs for cultural ties.

"Whenever people study in a country, they leave it with very good memories. In this case, with memories of Russia. And these are the people who are the link between Russia and their homeland, in this case, Nepal," Putin said.

Putin added that Russia and Nepal should cooperate in other humanitarian fields: "I am sure that it will be very interesting for the Russian public to get acquainted with the culture of Nepal."

The president also pointed out that diplomatic relations with Nepal were established in 1956, meaning that a round anniversary is coming up.

"Today we can sum up some results of our cooperation. I want to point out that we have never had any problems. Moreover, our positions on key issues on the international agenda are either very close or coincide," Putin concluded.

Russia Is Considering Sending Aid to Afghanistan in Connection with Earthquake — MFA

A devastating earthquake occurred in the provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman in eastern Afghanistan on September 1, claiming the lives of hundreds of people

MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Russia’s organizations and agencies concerned are considering sending urgent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in connection with the earthquake that occurred there, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.

"In the early hours of September 1, a devastating earthquake occurred in the provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Laghman in eastern Afghanistan, claiming the lives of hundreds of people. More than a thousand Afghans went homeless. Moscow expresses its sincere sympathy to the friendly Afghan people, the families of the dead and injured. The issue of sending urgent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan is being considered by Russia’s agencies concerned," the Foreign Ministry said in a news release.

Putin Invites SCO Colleagues to Cultural and Sports Forums in Russia

The Russian leader invited foreign delegations to the St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures and Russia - Sports Power forum in Samara

TIANJIN, September 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited delegations of countries participating in the SCO Plus meeting to come to cultural and sports forums in St. Petersburg and Samara.

"We invite delegations from all your countries to the St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures, which starts next week, and to the Russia - Sports Power forum, which will be held in November in Samara," the Russian leader said.

The SCO currently unites 10 member states (Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). There are also 2 states with observer status (Afghanistan, Mongolia) and 14 dialogue partners (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka) interacting with the SCO.

Russia Redirecting Enormous Volumes of Fertilizers to BRICS States — Association Head

Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers projects an increase in Russian fertilizer exports to 44 mln tons in 2025

TIANJIN, September 1. /TASS/. Russia has increased its fertilizer supplies to BRICS countries by about 20%, head of the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers Andrey Guryev said, adding that it is redirecting enormous volumes to them.

"As for the dynamics of deliveries, it is very positive. We currently see a 20% increase in deliveries year-on-year," he told reporters, adding that this refers to supplies to India, China, and Latin America.

"Fundamentally, a huge volume of fertilizers is being redirected to BRICS, Global South countries. This dynamic will persist, especially given the ongoing growth of fertilizer production in Russia," Guryev said. The association projects an increase in Russian fertilizer exports to 44 mln tons in 2025, he noted.

Supplies are being redirected due to US and European tariffs, among other things, the association’s head said. "Now, of course, we are making a choice in favor of developing BRICS markets. Let`s say that the US introduced a compensatory duty against Russian fertilizers several years ago, and we left this market," he said, adding that the same happened as duties on Russian fertilizers that could become prohibitive by 2029, were introduced by the European Union this summer.

"Of course, it (the volume - TASS) will be distributed among other countries, other consumers, consumers whose consumption volume is growing," Guryev stressed.

OUTSIDE RUSSIA

Superpower Triumph: Trilateral Win for Russia, India, China

Russian President Vladimir Putin had many bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China, including with China`s and India`s leaders.

“The increasing geo-economic pressure from the US may seem like the driving force behind the apparent rise in bilateral and multilateral engagements between India, China, and Russia’s leadership,” although their ties have historical roots as well, Shreyas Deshmukh, Research Associate with Delhi Policy Group, a think tank in New Delhi, India, tells Sputnik.

The analyst explained how the economies of both countries are mutually beneficial:

India can export to Russia in industries such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and textiles

In the last few years, Russian crude oil has helped India maintain energy prices at a suitable level, thus allowing its middle class to withstand inflationary pressures

There are opportunities for India to enter the Russian market in various sectors

Deshmukh highlighted the current joint projects of utter importance:

North-South Transport Corridor

Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor

Northern Sea Route

“These developments present a multitude of opportunities to address the existing issues and promote regional prosperity. Hence, SCO member states are working to find solutions to regional problems,” the pundit concluded.

The SCO Steps in Where UN Has Failed

The SCO has condemned Israel and the US for their attack on Iran in June. In a joint statement, they said that such aggressive actions against civilian targets, including nuclear energy infrastructure, which resulted in civilian deaths, constitute a gross violation of the principles and norms of international law and infringe on Iran’s sovereignty.

The SCO’s condemnation of Israeli and US strikes on Iran marks a turning point, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, Tehran University professor and political analyst, told Sputnik. “This is what we should have seen from the United Nations. Instead, the SCO and BRICS are emerging as the real alternative.”

Key takeaways:

The West’s wars, sanctions, and support for apartheid regimes are pushing nations together and marginalizing the very institutions it built after WWII •Iran’s membership in the SCO shows its people are not isolated—they have the backing of countries representing the global majority

Asia’s rise is unstoppable: new trade corridors, Belt & Road, and collective security are shielding nations from Western disruption

SCO is shifting into a real force: security, economic integration, and independence from Western financial institutions

Marandi: “Thanks to the West’s own foolish behavior, the SCO is becoming a central pillar of peace, security, and prosperity across Asia—and beyond.”

SCO Alliances: Path to Free Global South from Northern Dominance

Today, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi met at the SCO summit in Tianjin, China. The leaders reaffirmed their support for further strengthening their countries’ strategic partnership.

“India`s relationships with China and Russia offer terms that are more favorable than those offered by the West,” Adriel Kasonta, London-based foreign affairs analyst, tells Sputnik.

The pundit breaks down how the West’s approach differs from that of multipolarity advocates.

1.“In its dealings with the West, India often finds itself in the role of a recipient of directives.”

2.“Its relationships with Russia and China are fundamentally different; neither Moscow nor Beijing imposes sanctions or conditions their good relations on India acting against its own national interests.”

“The West should recognize the unity between India and Russia in response to tariff pressures from Washington, as evidence that PM Narendra Modi’s government prioritizes its vital national interests over superficial geopolitical theatrics,” Kasonta concludes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed on Monday relations between Russia and India and expressed satisfaction with the steady growth of bilateral ties, including cooperation between the countries in the economic, financial and energy sectors, the Indian Foreign Ministry said.

Putin and Modi met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China`s Tianjin earlier in the day.

Power Meets Power: Putin`s Pivotal Visit to China

China and Russia are strengthening their strategic partnership across industry, high-tech, energy, metallurgy, and defense.

China accounts for one third of global industrial output, while Russia demonstrates the fastest growth in manufacturing’s contribution to GDP among major economies.

China leads the world in solar panels, drones, electric vehicles, batteries, and high-speed rail, while Russia holds 40% of the enriched uranium market and plays a key role in global oil and gas production. Both countries are also among the leaders in steel, aluminum, and gold, with Russia dominating the palladium market.

Together, Russia and China form a powerful industrial, energy, and defense axis that is shaping the global economy of the 21st century.

Check out Sputnik’s infographics for more details: https://sputnikglobe.com/20250901/power-meets-power-putins-pivotal-visit-to-china-1122693189.html

Putin: Understandings Reached at the Alaska Summit Pave the Way for Peace in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at the SCO summit site in Tianjin, China.

The summit events are being held at the Meijiang International Convention and Exhibition Center. The head of state arrived at the forum site in an Aurus car. Check out key statements of the Russian leader at the summit.

On Ukraine

On the Ukrainian crisis, Russia adheres to the principle that NO country can ensure its security at the expense of another.

Western attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO are a contributing factor to the Ukrainian crisis.

Putin will brief his SCO counterparts on the results of the Alaska summit during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

Russia highly values the efforts of China, India, and other partners in resolving the situation in Ukraine.

The crisis in Ukraine did not arise from an "attack," but from a coup d`état.

On Multipolarity

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is consistently increasing its influence in resolving international issues, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"Our organization is consistently increasing its influence in resolving pressing international issues, and is a powerful driver of global development processes and the establishment of genuine multilateralism," Putin said at a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State.

Dialogue within the SCO helps lay the foundation for a new Eurasian security system, replacing outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models.

The SCO is steadily increasing its influence in addressing international issues.

National currencies are being used more widely in mutual settlements for trade among SCO countries.

The pace of development of cooperation within the SCO is impressive.

SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE

Ukraine Loses Over 415 Soldiers in Battles with Russia`s Tsentr Group

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia`s Battlegroup Tsentr has eliminated over 415 Ukrainian military personnel over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 415 servicepeople, a tank, three armored fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles and three artillery pieces," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia`s Battlegroup Zapad has eliminated over 230 Ukrainian soldiers, the ministry also said, adding that Kiev has lost over 220 soldiers in clashes with Russia`s Battlegroup Vostok.

INSIGHTS

The Old World Order Was Buried in China. Here’s Why It Matters

Xi, Putin and Modi have lead calls in Tianjin for a UN-centered multipolar system, as Eurasian blocs tighten and the EU is sidelined

The latest gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin looks at first like another summit – handshakes, family portraits, scripted statements. But the meeting on August 31–September 1 is more than diplomatic theater: it is another marker of the end of the unipolar era dominated by the United States, and the rise of a multipolar system centered on Asia, Eurasia, and the Global South.

At the table were Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – together representing more than a third of humanity and 3 of largest countries on Earth.

Xi unveiled a broad Global Governance Initiative, including a proposed SCO development bank, cooperation on artificial intelligence, and financial support for developing nations. Putin described the SCO as “a vehicle for genuine multilateralism” and called for a Eurasian security model beyond Western control. Modi’s presence – his first visit to China in years – and the powerful optics around his meeting with Putin, signaled that India is willing to be seen as part of this emerging order.

What just happened (and why it’s bigger than a photo-op)

The pitch: Xi is promoting an order that “democratizes” global governance and reduces dependence on US-centric finance (think: less dollar gravity, more regional institutions). Putin called the SCO a vehicle for “genuine multilateralism” and Eurasian security. By calling China a partner rather than a rival, Modi signaled New Delhi won’t be locked into Washington’s anti-China agenda.

The audience: More than 20 non-Western leaders were in the room, with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres endorsing the event organisation – not a club meeting in the shadows, but a UN-centered frame at a China-led forum.

Translation: “We want the UN Charter back – not someone else’s in-house rules”

Beijing’s line is blunt: reject Cold War blocs and restore the UN system as the only universal legal baseline. That’s a direct rebuke to the post-1991 “rules-based international order”, drafted in Washington or Brussels and enforced selectively.

Examples are not hard to find. The 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia went ahead without a UN mandate, justified under the “responsibility to protect.” The 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq was launched despite the absence of Security Council approval – a war later admitted even by Western officials to have been based on false premises. In 2011, a UN resolution authorizing a no-fly zone over Libya was used by NATO to pursue outright regime change, leaving behind a failed state and opening a corridor of misery into the heart of Western Europe.

For China, Russia and many Global South states, these episodes proved that the “rules-based order” was never about universal law but about Western discretion. The insistence in Tianjin that the UN Charter be restored as the only legitimate framework is meant to flip the script: to argue that the SCO, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, plus Indonesia), and their partners are defending the actual rules of international law, while the West substitutes ad hoc coalitions and shifting standards for its own convenience.

Both Xi and Putin drove the point home, but in different registers.

Xi’s line: He denounced “hegemonism and bullying behavior” and called for a “democratization of global governance,” stressing that the SCO should serve as a model of true multilateralism anchored in the UN and the World Trade Organization (WTO), not in ad hoc “rules” devised by a few Western capitals.

Putin’s line: He went further, charging that the United States and its allies were directly responsible for the conflict escalation in Ukraine, and arguing that the SCO offers a framework for a genuine Eurasian security order – one not dictated by NATO or Western-imposed standards.

The architecture replacing unipolarity (it’s already here)

Security spine: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization brings together Russia, China, India and Central Asian states to coordinate security, counterterrorism and intelligence – the hard-power framework that makes the rest possible.

Economic boardrooms: BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, followed by Indonesia in 2025.

With its New Development Bank and a drive for trade in national currencies, it now acts as a counterweight to the Group of Seven (G7).

Regional weight: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – a ten-member bloc shaping Asian trade and standards – increasingly aligns with SCO and BRICS projects.

Energy leverage: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), six Arab monarchies, coordinate policy through the wider Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus (OPEC+), giving them control over key oil flows.

Taken together, these bodies already function as a parallel governance system that doesn’t need Western sponsorship or veto power.

EU’s irrelevance

The European Union (EU) is absent from Tianjin – and that absence speaks volumes. Once promoted as the second global pole, Europe is now tied to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for defense, dependent on outside energy, and fractured internally. Even its flagship Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has soured relations with India and other Global South economies. In Tianjin, Europe was not a participant in decisions – only a spectator.

After the talks, the tanks

The SCO summit precedes China’s Victory Day military parade in Beijing on September 3, commemorating 80 years since Japan’s surrender in World War II. Xi, Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with whom Moscow has a bilateral security pact, will stand together as Beijing showcases intercontinental missiles, long-range strike systems and drone formations.

The spectacle will likely demonstrate that multipolarity is not just a form of diplomatic language, but that it backed by the hard power on display.

Why Tianjin matters beyond Tianjin

A rival rule-set with institutions: From a Shanghai Cooperation Organization bank to BRICS financing and potential ASEAN–GCC coordination, there is now a procedural path to act without Western oversight.

UN-first framing: By anchoring legitimacy in the UN Charter, the bloc positions Western “rules-based” frameworks as partisan.

India’s calculus: Modi’s public handshakes with Xi and Putin have normalized a Eurasian triangle that Washington and Brussels cannot easily fracture.

Europe’s shrinking veto: EU regulations such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism no longer set the agenda in Eurasia, where energy, trade and security are coordinated elsewhere.

The bottom line

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin was less about formal speeches than about symbolism. It signalled that the unipolar world has ended. From development banks to energy corridors to parades of missiles, a new multipolar order is taking shape – and it no longer asks for Western permission.