"Eliminating the Root Cause Is Essential to Resolving the Crisis"
Possible Meeting with Chairman Kim Jong Un
Russian President Vladimir Putin identified "Western intervention" as the cause of the war in Ukraine, insisting that "the fundamental cause must be eliminated in order to resolve the crisis."
According to the South China Morning Post and Russia's TASS Yonhap News on September 1, President Putin stated during his speech at the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), held in Tianjin, China, that "the crisis in Ukraine did not arise from Russian aggression, but from a coup in Kyiv led by the West."
He emphasized, "For any agreement on Ukraine to be sustainable and long-lasting, the root causes of the crisis must be eliminated," adding, "A fair balance must be restored in the field of security." He further argued, "The West's push for NATO membership poses a direct threat to Russia's security."
President Putin also mentioned his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska on August 15, stating, "The understanding reached between the two countries has opened the path to peace in Ukraine."
He also highlighted the role of the SCO. President Putin said, "The SCO is making a significant contribution to strengthening cooperation and mutual trust across Eurasia," and "is establishing the political, social, and economic conditions necessary to build a new system of stability, security, and peace." He added, "This system will replace the outdated Eurocentric model and achieve a genuine balance by reflecting the interests of as many countries as possible," and "it will also prevent attempts to guarantee one's own security at the expense of others."
President Putin announced plans to hold a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Moscow this November, adding, "We will discuss concrete implementation measures related to the agreements reached at this meeting."
The SCO summit, which opened the previous day, was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and leaders from more than 20 countries with anti-Western stances, as well as representatives from 10 international organizations.
According to China Central Television (CCTV) and TASS Yonhap News, President Putin is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Pezeshkian, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Nepalese Prime Minister Sharma Oli.
Additionally, there is speculation that President Putin may meet with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un during the military parade in Beijing on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, told TASS Yonhap News that "other meetings and discussions may be included in President Putin's schedule."
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