Russian President Vladimir Putin, center right, and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev's wife Mehriban Aliyeva, greet each other as Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, second right, and leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gather to watch the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Vladimir Voronin)