Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the West for provoking the Ukraine war, citing NATO’s expansion and support for Ukraine’s 2013-14 uprising. Speaking at the SCO summit in Tianjin on September 1, 2025, he said Russia’s military actions were reactive, not the cause of the conflict, Al Jazeera reported.

Putin stressed that lasting peace requires addressing these root causes and highlighted talks with leaders including US President Donald Trump, China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Despite these efforts, negotiations remain stalled, with Russia seeking territorial concessions Ukraine considers unacceptable. Putin’s comments reinforce Moscow’s view that Western policies fuel the conflict, according to Al Jazeera.