Putin Blames West for Ukraine Crisis

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Monday that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine originated from a "coup" that occurred in Kyiv in 2014.

According to him, this political upheaval was "provoked by the West" and worsened by Western efforts to integrate Ukraine into NATO, which intensified the geopolitical strain.

Speaking at the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, Putin stated: “This crisis did not arise as a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but as a result of the coup d’etat in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West, and then by attempts to use armed forces to suppress the resistance of those regions and people who did not accept this coup.”

He emphasized that the Western-backed change in Ukraine’s political leadership, particularly the removal of those opposed to NATO membership, played a critical role in the unfolding crisis.

Putin further argued that the inclusion of Ukraine into the Western military alliance posed a “direct threat” to Russia's national security.

He reiterated that Moscow is aiming for a “long-term and sustainable” solution to the war by addressing what he identified as the fundamental origins of the conflict.

In addition, the Russian president praised the SCO, calling it a “powerful locomotive” for advancing authentic multilateral cooperation.

He contrasted this with Western-centric global structures, stating that models of international governance led by North America and Europe “are becoming a thing of the past.”

Putin concluded by advocating for a new global system that would move beyond “obsolete Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models,” stressing the importance of an inclusive framework that respects the security interests of all nations, rather than allowing some to secure their own stability “at the expense of others.”

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