Putin Flaunts CIS Unity Amid Europe Tensions Over Ukraine War

• Russian leader Vladimir Putin convened an informal CIS summit in St. Petersburg, showcasing the bloc's unity amidst rising tensions with Europe over the Ukraine war.
• Putin presented CIS as a Russia-led group of former Soviet republics with unified approaches to global and regional challenges, contrasting it with a divided Europe.
• He emphasized CIS countries' support for a fair world order and constant cooperation on security issues like terrorism, crime, and drug trafficking.
• Leaders from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan attended; Azerbaijan and Moldova were absent.
• Analysts view CIS as a tool for Russia's 'soft power' to assert influence in its neighborhood, complementing 'hard power' through CSTO and EAEU.

Why It Matters: Putin uses CIS summit to project Russian influence and unity, contrasting with Europe's divisions.