Russia “will continue to resist” “external pressure and sanctions,” President Vladimir Putin assured Tuesday at a virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
“Russia will certainly resist and will continue to resist external pressures, sanctions and provocations,” Putin said, thanking the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries that showed support for Moscow during the Wagner paramilitary group’s uprising in late June.
“The Russian people are united as never before,” said the head of state, adding that “the whole Russian society was united in a front against the attempted armed uprising” by the Wagner mercenary group.
Putin thanked “colleagues from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization who expressed their support for the actions of the Russian authorities aimed at defending the constitutional order, life and security of citizens.””Thank you” he said.
Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin led an uprising on June 23 and 24, with mercenaries hired by the oligarch occupying positions at military bases in southern Russia, before ending the mutiny after mediation by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Wagner group took part in Moscow’s latest military offensive against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in 2001 by the People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Since 2017, India and Pakistan are also part of the body for political, economic and military cooperation, as well as sharing information and contacts related to security areas, especially in the fight against “terrorism, separatism and extremism”.
Source: DN
