Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that Moscow and Beijing are "united in strengthening" the BRICS grouping to address global issues, including showing opposition to "discriminatory sanctions" which he claims are impeding the socioeconomic development of member states and the broader international community.

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, ahead of the upcoming 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit taking place in the Tianjin municipality of China, the Russian President underlined the deepening cooperation between the two nations within multilateral platforms, emphasising their role in transforming BRICS into a "key pillar of global architecture" and supporting reforms in global financial institutions.

"We are working closely with China within BRICS to expand its role as a key pillar of global architecture. Together, we advance initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunities for member states, including the creation of common platforms for partnership in strategic sectors," Putin said, as quoted by Xinhua News Agency.