Putin on war in Ukraine: it was caused "not by the attack by the Russian Federation, but by a coup d’état" and attempts by West to drag Ukraine into NATO (updated)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has once again accused the West of involvement in the war in Ukraine.
He made this statement at the SCO summit, according to Censor.NET, citing Russian media reports.
"Russia's approach to the Ukrainian crisis is that no country can ensure its security at the expense of another," he said, adding that the West's attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO are allegedly one of the causes of the "Ukrainian crisis".
He also said that the "coup" in Ukraine allegedly led to the outbreak of war, and that Ukraine's accession to NATO allegedly posed a threat to Russia.
"The crisis (as Russia calls the war in Ukraine - Ed.) did not arise as a result of Russia's attack on Ukraine, but as a result of a coup d'état that was supported and provoked by the West," Putin assured.
Earlier, Censor.NET reported that Putin had arrived in China for a four-day visit and would take part in a parade with Xi Jinping.
