Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday declared that the Ukraine war was “coming to an end”, offering his strongest signal yet that Moscow may be preparing for a negotiated phase after more than four years of brutal fighting. His remarks came as Russia and Ukraine began a three-day ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump and agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each in one of the largest swaps since the war began.
“I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters during Russia’s Victory Day events in Moscow, where a scaled-down military parade unfolded under heavy security.
The timing of Putin’s statement immediately drew global attention. The Kremlin has spent years projecting military resolve, but the Russian leader’s latest comments suggested growing diplomatic movement behind the scenes.
“There is a feeling now that Moscow wants to signal that talks are no longer off the table,” one European diplomat said privately after Putin’s remarks.
This year’s Victory Day parade looked very different from the grand displays of military power usually seen on Red Square. No tanks rolled through central Moscow. Instead, giant screens displayed advanced missiles, drones and fighter jets while soldiers who fought in Ukraine marched before the Kremlin walls.
In an eight-minute speech, Putin praised Russian troops and accused NATO of backing what he called an “aggressive force” against Russia. North Korean troops, who reportedly fought alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region, also took part in the parade.
The Kremlin leader also hinted at how future diplomacy with Europe could unfold. Asked whether he was open to engaging with European leaders, Putin named former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as his preferred contact.
“For me personally, the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Schroeder, is preferable,” Putin said.
Putin was also asked whether he would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly. He said such a meeting would only happen once both sides reached agreement on a lasting peace framework.
The Kremlin has repeatedly argued that European governments cut off contact with Moscow after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and that any restoration of dialogue should begin from the Western side.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, called for a longer pause in fighting, saying the current ceasefire should become “a big extension”.
“I’d like to see it stop. Russia-Ukraine — it’s the worst thing since World War Two in terms of life,” Trump told reporters in Washington.
So far, there have been no immediate reports of major ceasefire violations despite repeated accusations by both sides in recent days.
The war, launched by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. Hundreds of thousands have been killed or wounded, Ukrainian cities have been devastated and relations between Russia and the West have collapsed to Cold War-era lows.
Zelenskyy reacted cautiously to Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations, joking that Ukraine would “allow” Russia’s parade to proceed and that Ukrainian weapons would not target Red Square.
Source: Reuters