Alaska summit with Trump could “pave way for peace in Ukraine” — Putin at SCO summit

He spoke at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, according to the state agency RIA Novosti.

“The understanding reached at the recent Russian-American summit in Alaska, I hope, is also moving in this direction, paving the way for peace in Ukraine,” Putin said, adding that he would inform his SCO colleagues about the results of the summit.

He also said the war began “not because of Russia's attack,” but “because of the coup d'état in Kyiv provoked by the West.”

“Russia's approach to the Ukrainian crisis is that no country can ensure its security at the expense of another,” Vladimir Putin said, repeating his claim that one of the reasons for the “Ukrainian crisis” is “attempts by the West to drag Ukraine into NATO.”

“The root causes of the crisis in Ukraine must be eliminated and the balance in the security sphere restored,” Putin said.

He added that Moscow “appreciates the efforts of China, India, and other partners in resolving the situation in Ukraine.”

• On August 31, Russian leader Vladimir Putin began a four-day visit to China at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who asked him to attend a parade marking the anniversary of the end of World War II.