Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking Monday at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, defended Moscow’s large-scale military offensive on Ukraine, which began more than three years ago.
In his address at the summit held in Tianjin, China, Putin stated, “This crisis was not caused by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but rather by a coup in Ukraine that was supported and instigated by the West.”
He added, “The second reason for this crisis is the West’s persistent attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO.”
Putin also said that the understandings reached during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last August pave the way for a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine.
During the Shanghai Cooperation Organization forum, he continued: “In this regard, we greatly appreciate the efforts and proposals put forward by China and India aimed at facilitating a solution to the Ukrainian crisis.”
He concluded, “I would also like to point out that I hope the understandings reached at the recent Russian-American meeting in Alaska will contribute to achieving this goal.”