Putin meets his ally Chinese President Xi Jinping as they discuss Ukraine amid growing fears Russia is about to escalate war

Vladimir Putin met with his ally Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday in Kyrgyzstan as they discussed Ukraine amid growing fears that Russia will escalate its war with Kyiv.The pair, along with other world leaders, were in Kyrgyzstan for a two-day summit of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO), which seeks to be a counterbalance to the West.The regional SCO bloc – which brings together Russia, China, Iran, India, Pakistan, four central Asian countries and Belarus – is celebrating its 25-year anniversary.Upon arrival in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, Russian President Vladimir Putin met China's Xi Jinping, Russian media reported.Although they reportedly discussed Ukraine, it was not the main theme of their meeting, the Kremlin said. Mr Putin and Xi have previously used SCO summits to promote their vision of a multipolar world and present a united front against the West.Iran's leader Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, India's Narendra Modi and Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif were also in Bishkek.The summit takes place four-and-a-half years into Moscow's Ukraine invasion, as Mr Putin is reportedly considering escalating the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit Members of the delegations, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summitSources close to the Kremlin have claimed Mr Putin has chosen to escalate the war, fearing he could face backlash from the Russian public if he ends the conflict without being able to claim victory.In an August 22 address, the Russian president accused Ukraine of opening a 'Pandora's box' and threatened 'blowback on the most sensitive sectors of your economy'.Earlier that day, speaking to United Russia, the Kremlin's ruling party, he dismissed suggestions that the war was coming to an end. 'The special military operation continues,' he said. 'We will move only forward.'It comes as ordinary Russians are increasingly bearing the brunt of the war, facing relentless Ukrainian drone attacks, internet restrictions and a struggling economy.According to The Economist, discontent is even greater among Russia's elites, with one insider claiming they are increasingly frustrated by the length of the conflict.Mr Putin reportedly believes he could be at risk if he ends the war without achieving at least his minimum goal of capturing the entire Donbas region.'They will hang me,' he reportedly said, according to an insider cited by The Economist.Meanwhile, it has been six months into the war between Washington and Tehran. Speaking after the first exchange of fire between the United States and Iran in a month, Iran's Pezeshkian said continuing the war was not in Tehran's interests.'We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region,' he told India's Modi.Mr Putin, Xi, Mr Pezeshkian, Mr Modi and Mr Sharif are due to take part in a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyz leader Sadyr Japarov.The Kremlin has said Mr Putin is also due to hold talks with Mr Pezeshkian.Russia and Iran – among the most sanctioned states in the world – have massively deepened their military and economic ties since Moscow invaded Ukraine.US President Donald Trump has warned Moscow and Beijing against arming Iran.Mr Putin's meeting with Mr Pezeshkian will come days after the CIA's director John Ratcliffe made a rare trip to Moscow, with US media speculating he could have discussed Ukraine and Iran with his Russian counterparts.The SCO has historically focused on economic issues but has gained momentum in recent years under Moscow's and Beijing's leadership.On top of its ten members, it now has 15 'dialogue partners', including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It also has two observer countries: Afghanistan and Mongolia.The SCO's founding declaration says the group is 'not an alliance directed against other states'.But Mr Putin and Xi have repeatedly made anti-Western speeches during its summits. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) holds a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko is also in attendance at the summitAt last year's gathering, Mr Putin accused Western countries of provoking the Ukraine war, while Xi denounced 'acts of intimidation', referring to US-Chinese tensions.The Bishkek summit takes place at a time when some SCO members are in the midst of real wars – the Ukraine and Iran conflicts – or trade wars, with the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods.This month, the US slapped secondary sanctions on Iran's trading partners in the sectors of gold, technology, digital assets, aviation and maritime transport, aiming to cripple Tehran's economy.Washington has also threatened Iran's allies with sanctions. China, a major importer of Iranian oil, responded by saying it would 'firmly defend' its interests.Iran, living under sanctions since its 1979 revolution ended with Islamic authorities taking charge, has regularly said it will not cave to economic pressure.But Mr Pezeshkian has acknowledged his country faces 'economic difficulties'. Iran only joined the bloc in 2023.Mohammad Hassan Najmi, an international relations expert, said that Tehran 'believes its membership and active participation in these alliances can enable it to circumvent US and European sanctions'.But concrete benefits of the group are uncertain, he said, as 'in times of crisis, these alliances have rarely allowed Iran to resolve its difficulties'.While the bloc claims to represent some 40 per cent of the world's population and 25 per cent of global GDP, it remains diverse, with some disagreements among members.Russia and China compete for influence in central Asia, while Beijing has at times had strained relations with India and Pakistan.