Putin says he thinks Ukraine conflict coming to an end
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he thought the Ukrainian conflict was nearing its end.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered the most serious crisis in relations between Russia and NATO in decades.
“I think this issue is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters about the Ukrainian war.
Putin was speaking in the Kremlin after Russia held its smallest Victory Day parade in recent years.
President Putin: I think the Ukrainian conflict is over. ??? Kirill Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) May 9, 2026
May 9 Victory Day holiday, World War II of the Soviet Union. It celebrates victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and pays tribute to the 27 million Soviet citizens who lost their lives in the war.
But victory in Ukraine proved elusive for Russia.
During four years of the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, Russian forces have so far failed to capture the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been pushed back to a line of stronghold cities.
The war killed hundreds of thousands of people, left much of Ukraine in ruins, and depleted Russia’s economy; Russia’s relations with European countries are worse than at any time since the depths of the Cold War.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday that European Union leaders were preparing for potential talks.
When asked if he was willing to participate in talks with the Europeans, he said that his preferred person was former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
“Personally, for me, the former chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Schroeder, is preferable,” Putin said.
The Kremlin said last week that European governments should make the first move since they are the ones who cut off contact with Russia in 2022 after the start of the war in Ukraine.
Asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Putin said that the meeting would be possible only after a permanent peace agreement is signed.
Russian and Ukrainian forces are taking advantage of the current ceasefire to rotate troops and bring in reinforcements, Ukrainian army spokesman Viktor Trehubov said early Saturday.
“The Russians are actually taking a break today and using it to build up reinforcements, rotate forces and revive offensive capabilities,” he said.
Trehubov added that similar activities were carried out on the Ukrainian side.
The situation on the front lines is relatively calm for now, the spokesman said.
While isolated wars did occur, they were less intense than usual, he said.
Trehubov claimed that the Russian army did not want to provoke events during Victory Day in Moscow.
with DPA
