"This crisis was not caused by Russia's attack on Ukraine, but was the result of a coup in Ukraine that was supported and provoked by the West," Putin said.

He was referring to the pro-European revolution in Ukraine in 2013-2014, which led to the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. He was duly impeached by parliament, but Moscow still calls his ouster a coup. The Kremlin subsequently occupied and annexed the Crimean peninsula and supported pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

"The second reason for the crisis is the West's constant attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO," the Russian president stressed. He reiterated the need to address the"root causes of the conflict" in Ukraine.

B-2 Spirit bomber over the heads of Putin and Trump

X/media

Before the summit, Putin discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders the results of his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump, which he said had yielded some"understanding" that could help pave the way for peace in Ukraine.

Xi Jinping opened the SCO summit of heads of state and government on Monday morning. More than 20 world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, gathered in the port city of Tianjin, south of Beijing. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was also present.

Moscow and Beijing present the SCO as an alternative to Western-led political and security blocs. Putin declared in this regard that the world needs"a system that will replace outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models and take into account the interests of the widest possible range of countries".

Putin and Modi confirm continued cooperation

India and Russia stand side by side even in difficult times, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin. The Kremlin chief had previously called the Indian leader his"dear friend", TASR reports, citing a Reuters report.

"I had an excellent meeting with President Putin," Modi said on the X platform, adding that they discussed cooperation"across all sectors, including trade, fertilizers, space, security and culture."

"Our special and privileged strategic partnership remains an important pillar of regional and global stability," the Indian Prime Minister continued.

Modi posted a photo of himself and Putin inside the armored Aurus limousine used by the Russian president on X.

I had an excellent meeting with President Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin. Discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors, including trade, fertilizers, space, security and culture. We exchanged views on regional and global developments, including…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025

"Even in the most difficult situations, India and Russia have always walked side by side... Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries, but also for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi reiterated.

The Indian Prime Minister welcomed efforts aimed at stopping the war in Ukraine, which he hopes will end as soon as possible.

"Russia and India have maintained special relations for decades, which are friendly and based on trust. This is the basis for the development of our relations in the future," Putin said after Monday's meeting.

Turkey is a reliable partner of Russia, says Putin

Turkey is a reliable and proven partner for Russia, and energy cooperation between the two countries is strategic, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

Putin also praised Turkey's efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, saying Turkey's"special role" as a mediator would continue to be in demand.

Turkey is committed to ensuring a just and lasting peace, Erdogan told Putin, according to Reuters. The Turkish president's office said the two presidents also discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip, developments in Syria and relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, according to a statement from the office.