Putin calls for international focus on ‘traditional values’

Russia earlier said the West is using propaganda on gender relations to undermine its statehood.

Traditional values are being sidelined internationally and must be brought back to the center of the global agenda, Russian President Vladimir Putin has told leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

Speaking at the expanded session of the gathering on Monday, the Russian leader stressed that the SCO’s strength lies in its traditional “respect for historical events, cultural values, and civilizational diversity.” He added that these principles form the basis for cooperation in science and education, healthcare, and sports.

Putin noted that in the cultural sphere, Moscow is organizing the Intervision song contest, to be held in Moscow on September 20. Portrayed as an alternative to Eurovision, from which Russia has been excluded due to tensions with the EU over the Ukraine conflict, Intervision is expected to feature performers from Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

”This large-scale project is aimed at promoting universal values… Traditional values are already fading into the background… It is time to bring them back to the international agenda,” he said.

Putin also invited delegations to attend the St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum next week, and the Russia – Country of Sports forum in Samara in November.

Russia has made the promotion of traditional values a core domestic policy as it seeks to improve birth rates, encourage families, and protect the population from harmful content.

In 2024, the parliament banned “child-free propaganda” and has for years been fighting LGBTQ propaganda. Russia has said, however, that it has never banned non-traditional relationships, arguing that the West uses the narrative regarding non-traditional relations to undermine its national identity and statehood.