Putin seeks end to 'unipolar world', calls for equal multipolar order

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (local time) advocated for the end of a "unipolar world", emphasising a multipolar global order where all nations are equal without any "hegemons" dominating politics or security.

During a press briefing following his four-day visit to China, Putin highlighted the need for equitable international relations, positioning organisations like Brics and SCO as platforms for this vision.

"A unipolar world is unfair. It's obvious. And we are developing our relations not based on the opinion of the majority... We are developing our relations and our cooperation based on the idea. And the idea is that the world must be multipolar, which means that all the actors of international communication and international relations must be equal, and there must be no one more equal than the others. And a unipolar world must cease to exist," Putin stated.

"As for whether the multipolar world has been established or not, well, its outlines are there, by and large. But I wouldn't really speak about any demeaning pulse. It doesn't mean that this new multipolar world should have any hegemons, because no one is speaking about this, not in Brics, not in the SCO," he added.

Citing economic giants like India and China, Putin acknowledged the shifting global balance but cautioned that economic strength should not translate into political or security dominance.

He further elaborated on the emerging multipolar framework.

"Everyone has equal rights in this multipolar world. And from an international law point of view, everyone must have equal rights and must be in a similar position. Yes, there are economic giants like India or China. And actually, our country is among the top four biggest economies if we speak of purchasing power parity. These are the current realities. That's not something that we would like to have. That's what international organisations calculate. But it doesn't mean that anyone should dominate over politics or over global security. So we do not believe that there should be some domination. Everyone must be equal," the Russian President stated.

This remark was a subtle take on the sanctions imposed by the West on Moscow due to the Ukraine conflict, as well as on the global economic concerns due to the tariff policies introduced by US President Donald Trump, which have caused frictions with certain countries on the international stage, particularly the tariff he has imposed on India and China.

New Delhi is facing global uncertainties due to heightened economic tensions following the US imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, including an additional 25 per cent due to its purchase of Russian crude oil.

Reflecting on the outcomes of his visit, Putin described them as "very positive", noting, "The documents that were adopted by all of the participants are very forward-looking."

Putin also spoke about the conversation that he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their bonhomie car ride from the SCO conference venue to the bilateral meeting hotel. He stated that he had briefed PM Modi on the recent talk he had with Trump in Alaska.

"Well, it's not a secret. To him (PM Modi), I told about the negotiations in Alaska," Putin added.