Vladimir Putin’s statements before the SCO Summit offer a comprehensive look at his worldview: a future that is multipolar, but one he insists must be “grounded in international law” with a central role for the UN. This presents his vision not as a chaotic free-for-all, but as a structured, more equitable alternative to the current order.
He argues that the present system, dominated by the West, selectively applies international law and uses “discriminatory” tools like sanctions to maintain its hegemony. In his view, a multipolar system would have more checks and balances, forcing a more consistent adherence to global rules.
The SCO, in this worldview, is a regional building block for this new global structure. Its principles of consensus and non-interference, combined with its goal of creating an “indivisible security” architecture, are presented as a model for how a multipolar world can function peacefully.
By repeatedly invoking “international law” and the “UN,” Putin is attempting to seize the narrative of global legitimacy. He is positioning himself not as a disruptor of world order, but as a reformer seeking to return to the foundational principles of the post-World War II system, which he argues the West has abandoned.