Russian President Vladimir Putin defended his Ukraine offensive to Moscow’s allies at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China.

He blamed the West for triggering the three-and-a-half-year war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated much of eastern Ukraine.

“This crisis was not triggered by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but was a result of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West,” Putin said.

Putin was referring to Ukraine’s 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.

“The second reason for the crisis is the West’s constant attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO,” the Russian president added.

The SCO summit was attended by Russian allies, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Moscow and Beijing have promoted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as an alternative to Western-led political and security blocs, including NATO.

Putin emphasized the need for a “system that would replace outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models, and take into account the interests of the widest circle of countries”.

He also appreciated the efforts of China, India, and other strategic partners in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, saying, “We highly value the efforts and proposals of China, India and our other strategic partners, aimed at contributing to resolving the Ukrainian crisis.”

Despite United States President Donald Trump’s urging for both Moscow and Kyiv to strike an agreement to end the war, peace proposals have stalled. Putin has rejected calls for a ceasefire and presented hardline territorial and political demands, including Ukraine ceding more territory and renouncing Western backing, as preconditions for peace. Kyiv has deemed these demands non-starters.

Putin planned to discuss diplomacy to end the conflict and his latest talks with Trump in a series of bilateral meetings. He was set to meet Modi, Pezeshkian, and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan for separate talks later that day.