TIANJIN, China — Russian President Vladimir Putin sought on Monday to defend his Ukraine offensive to Moscow’s allies, blaming the West for triggering the three-and-a-half year war<\/b>
\nRussian President Vladimir Putin sought on Monday to defend his Ukraine offensive to Moscow\u2019s allies, blaming the West for triggering the three-and-a-half year war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated much of eastern Ukraine.
\u201cThis crisis was not triggered by Russia\u2019s attack on Ukraine, but was a result of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West,\u201d Putin said at a summit of the the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the Chinese city of Tianjin.
That is a reference to Ukraine\u2019s 2013-2014 pro-European revolution, which ousted a pro-Russian president.
Moscow responded by annexing the Crimean peninsula and backing pro-Russian separatists in the east, triggering a civil war.
\u201cThe second reason for the crisis is the West\u2019s constant attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO,\u201d the Russian president added.
Putin was speaking at the SCO summit, attended by Russian allies, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Moscow and Beijing have touted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an alternative to Western-led political and security blocs, including NATO.
Putin said the world needed a \u201csystem that would replace outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models, and take into account the interests of the widest circle of countries\u201d.
\u201cWe highly value the efforts and proposals of China, India and our other strategic partners, aimed at contributing to resolving the Ukrainian crisis,\u201d he added.
Despite US President Donald Trump urging both Moscow and Kyiv to strike an agreement to end the war, peace proposals have stuttered.
Putin has rejected calls for a ceasefire and tabled hardline territorial and political demands \u2014 calling for Ukraine to cede more territory and renounce Western backing \u2014 as preconditions for peace.
Kyiv has ruled them out as non-starters.
The Russian leader said he would discuss the diplomacy to end the conflict and his latest talks with Trump in a series of bilateral meetings.
He is set to meet Modi, Pezeshkian and Turkey\u2019s Recep Tayyip Erdogan for separate talks later Monday. \/dl<\/p>\n