President Vladimir Putin’s playbook for reshaping the world order is becoming increasingly clear: weaken the US dollar’s dominance while simultaneously strengthening Eastern alliances. This two-pronged strategy was evident in his remarks leading up to the SCO Summit in Tianjin.
The offensive against the dollar is in full swing. Putin’s confirmation that Russia-China trade is now almost entirely settled in rubles and yuan is a major salvo against the “hegemony of the US dollar.” This move aims to strip Washington of its most powerful tool of global influence and economic coercion.
Concurrently, the effort to strengthen the East is accelerating. Putin celebrated the “unprecedented level” of the Russia-China partnership as the core of this movement. He called for bolstering both the SCO and BRICS, transforming them into powerful, cohesive blocs that can collectively challenge the West.
This playbook will guide Putin’s actions and negotiations at the summit. He will promote de-dollarization as a path to sovereignty while showcasing the benefits of deep integration with the Sino-Russian axis, urging other nations to join him in executing this global power shift.