Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on Monday. He outlined Russia’s position on the Ukraine war. Putin also praised India and China for their diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
Putin said that the “root causes” of the Ukraine war must be addressed to establish lasting peace and security. Reiterating Russia’s long-standing position, he said that the West’s “attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO” were among the main reasons behind the conflict. He further argued that the crisis did not begin with Russia’s military operations but was “the result of a coup d’état in Kyiv, supported by Ukraine’s Western allies.”
Putin showed Russia’s stance that no country should build its security at the cost of another nation’s sovereignty. He said that Russia continues to support UN principles.
Putin also said that he values the initiatives by India and China to promote peace. “We appreciate China and India’s efforts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine,” he said.
During his address, Putin also touched upon his recent Alaska summit with US President Donald Trump. He said he had already briefed Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders on the discussions and would share more details during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO gathering. According to him, the understandings reached with Trump in Alaska “open the way to peace in Ukraine.”
Ahead of the summit, Putin and PM Modi were seen greeting each other warmly at the venue. PM Modi shared a picture of their meeting on X, writing, “Always a delight to meet President Putin!”
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
