Putin Commits To War But SCO Fails To Deliver Support Sought By Kremlin

Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders' summit in Uzbekistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Moscow remains committed to its military objectives in Ukraine - pared back to asserting Russia rule in the eastern Ukrainian Donbas region - but the summit has failed to deliver vocal support from China, India, or Turkey.

• Putin's comments per Dmitri Alperovitch of Silverdo: “The plan is not subject to change… Main goal is the full liberation of the Donbas, this work continues despite the attempts at counteroffensives of the Ukrainian army."
• Putin also issued a threat that Russia has the capacity to increase military presence in Ukraine: “Gradually, the Russian army occupies more and more territories… We are not fighting with a full army, we are fighting only with part of the Russian army, only with contractors... Therefore, we do not rush in this regard."
• Putin had been hoping that the summit would firm up relations with Asian partners who remain neutral in the conflict but both Chinese President Xi Jinping and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced concerns over the war directly to the Russian President in bilateral meetings.