Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that NATO’s eastward expansion must be addressed to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine, praising efforts by China and India while highlighting progress from his recent talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Putin emphasised that resolving the Ukrainian crisis requires addressing what he calls the “root causes,” including Western attempts to integrate Ukraine into NATO.

He said, “In order for a Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, the root causes of the crisis… must be eliminated,” adding that a “fair balance in the security sphere” is also necessary.

Putin framed the war as a response to Western humiliation following NATO’s post-Cold War expansion, while Ukraine and European powers call it an imperial-style land grab.

On the sidelines of the SCO summit, Putin held hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they approached Chinese President Xi Jinping, highlighting the cooperative spirit between the three nations.

"In this regard, we highly appreciate the efforts and proposals from China and India aimed at facilitating the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis," Putin said at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation forum in Tianjin.

He also pointed to the Alaska summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in August, saying that the “understandings” reached there could contribute toward peace.

Russia’s conditions reportedly include written Western commitments to halt NATO’s expansion eastward and a partial lifting of sanctions.

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