By Lawrence Williams
Russian President Vladimir Putin has again raised the prospect of ending the war in Ukraine, saying he welcomes peace proposals from China and India that seek to address Russia’s security concerns, noting the “understandings” reached with the United States at last month’s Alaska summit could help in this direction.
Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, Putin reiterated that the conflict stems from what he called a 2014 Western-backed coup in Ukraine that ousted leaders opposed to NATO membership, alongside persistent Western efforts to draw Ukraine into NATO, which he described as a “threat to Russia’s security.”
“Let me remind you,” he said, “this crisis did not arise from Russia attacking Ukraine, but from a coup d’état in Ukraine, supported and provoked by the West, followed by attempts to use military force to suppress the regions and people of Ukraine who rejected that coup.”
Putin added another reason for the invasion is “the West’s constant efforts to draw Ukraine into NATO,” which Russia has long viewed as a direct security threat.
Putin emphasised that any proposal for a lasting peace in Ukraine must also address Russia’s security concerns: “For a Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable, the root causes of the crisis must be addressed, and a fair balance in the sphere of security must be restored.”
