Shoigu calls for expanded military drills in Asia amid US security expansion threats at SCO meeting

Russia’s defense minister Sergei Shoigu called for increased military exercises between Russia and its partners in Asia at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), stating that it is necessary due to direct threats from efforts by the United States to expand their security influence in the region. Speaking in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital city, Shoigu highlighted Moscow’s desire to strengthen military ties with Asian partners amidst intense demands on its army caused by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine which has been raging for over two years now. His speech comes at a time when his position is under greater-than-usual scrutiny after one of his deputies was arrested as part of a bribery scandal, threatening to weaken him politically.
Shoigu accused the US-led QUAD and AUKUS blocs of attempting to reshape security structures in the Pacific region for their own benefit while increasing pressure on China over Taiwan. He also claimed that foreign advisers are aiding Ukraine’s government in planning acts of sabotage within Russian territory, and alleged without evidence that Kyiv was using Western weapons to attack civilian infrastructure across the border into Russia as well as denying responsibility for an Islamic State-claimed concert hall bombing near Moscow last month. Shoigu maintained his stance by repeating earlier claims that Ukraine itself is behind these acts of terrorism; a claim denied vehemently by Kyiv and dismissed as nonsense by Washington officials.
Shoigu also highlighted the main threat in Central Asia, which he identified to be “radical terrorist groups located in Afghanistan”. He accused the United States of attempting to regain lost influence after its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan last year (2021). Shoigu’s comments came during a meeting that included SCO members such as Russia, India, China, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.