Tainjin/ New Delhi, Sep 1 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow’s long-held stance that the Ukraine conflict was not the result of a Russian “invasion”, but rather the outcome of a Western-backed coup in Kyiv in 2014 and persistent attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO.
Speaking at the plenary session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, Putin said the West’s push to integrate Kyiv into NATO remains one of the primary causes of the crisis.
“As we have repeatedly emphasised, this poses a direct threat to Russia’s security,” he stressed.
According to Putin, the political leadership that opposed NATO accession was removed during the 2014 coup, which Moscow considers the real trigger of the ongoing conflict.
“The crisis in Ukraine did not arise as a result of ‘invasion,’ but as a result of a coup d’état in Kyiv, supported by Ukraine’s Western allies,” he reiterated.
The Russian President also revealed that he would share details of his Alaska summit with US President Donald Trump during bilateral meetings with other leaders on the sidelines of the SCO. He described the understandings reached with Trump as opening a potential path toward peace in Ukraine.
“The second reason for the crisis is the West’s constant attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO. As we have repeatedly emphasised, this poses a direct threat to Russia’s security,” Putin noted.
Putin further underlined the importance of the SCO in shaping a new Eurasian security framework, one he said would replace “outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models.” He praised India and China for their efforts to mediate the Ukraine crisis, noting that their initiatives added value to ongoing peace discussions.
“The dialogue within the SCO helps lay the foundation for a new Eurasian security system, replacing outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models,” Putin said at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Highlighting the bloc’s growing influence, Putin said the SCO was playing a more active role in global affairs, with member states increasingly using national currencies in trade. “The pace of development of cooperation within the SCO is impressive,” he said.
Moscow will host a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government in November, Putin said.
“I am sure that the implementation of the agreements reached here in Tianjin will be considered in detail at the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, which, as agreed, will be held in Moscow in November. We will be glad to see the delegations of all your countries, dear friends,” Putin said at a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is an international organisation founded in 2001. It includes India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus officially joined the organisation at the Astana summit on July 4, 2024.
Observer countries are Afghanistan and Mongolia, dialogue partner states are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Sri Lanka.
Putin blames NATO expansion and 2014 coup for Ukraine crisis at SCO summit
