Putin at the Shanghai Summit: The West is the Cause of the Ukrainian Crisis and Its Solution is in the Hands of China and India

Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the military attack launched by Moscow on Ukraine, emphasizing that the current crisis is not a result of the Russian attack, but rather a product of a coup in Ukraine that the West helped support and instigate.

Putin stated during his speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit held in Tianjin, China: "The crisis did not begin with the Russian attack, but was a result of the coup that occurred in Ukraine with Western support, in addition to the West's ongoing attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO."

The Russian president also noted that the understandings reached during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last August could contribute to finding a way out of the Ukrainian crisis.

Putin added that Moscow appreciates the efforts and proposals made by both China and India, which aim to expedite the resolution of the crisis.

In this context, the Russian president expressed hope that the understandings that took place between Russia and the United States in Alaska would help push the political process towards resolving the crisis in Ukraine, affirming that these efforts could positively contribute to reaching a comprehensive settlement.