Putin Blames West for Ukraine Conflict at SCO Summit

Tianjin, Sep 1 (PTI) — Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit that attempts by Western nations to bring Ukraine into NATO represent a significant cause of the ongoing Ukrainian conflict. According to the Russian news agency Tass, Putin attributed the crisis largely to what he called the “coup d’état in Kiev in 2014, provoked by the West.”

The president stated that the continuous efforts by the West to involve Ukraine in NATO discussions present a direct threat to Russia's security. He pointed to the events of February 2014, where confrontations between protesters and government forces in Kyiv resulted in the ousting of then-President Viktor Yanukovych. As per Putin, the "coup" removed political leaders who opposed Ukraine joining NATO.

Putin arrived at this summit to participate in the activities of the 10-member bloc. During the event, he attended an opening banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. His presence at the SCO summit shifted the spotlight to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, alongside unsuccessful attempts by US President Donald Trump to broker a ceasefire and discussions regarding India's purchase of Russian oil being subject to hefty US tariffs.

The SCO, established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai, originally comprised Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It later expanded, adding India and Pakistan in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.

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