Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday (local time) that he believed the war in Ukraine was coming to an end, remarks that came just hours after he vowed victory in Ukraine at Moscow’s most limited Victory Day parade in years.
Putin told reporters: “I think the matter is coming to an end,” adding that he would be willing to negotiate new security measures for Europe and that his preferred negotiating partner would be former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Reuters reported.
The Russian president was speaking in the Kremlin after giving his view on the causes of Ukraine’s war, which Moscow launched in February 2022. Putin blamed “globalist” Western leaders, saying they promised the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would not expand eastward after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, but then tried to pull Ukraine into the European Union’s orbit.
His remarks came just hours after a May 9 national holiday parade celebrating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The annual event pays tribute to the 27 million Soviet citizens who died in that war.
Read also | The human cost of four years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Victory Day celebrations in Russia
After the parade, Putin told reporters that US President Donald Trump had offered to broker a truce after Moscow told the US and others it would launch a massive strike on central Kiev, a move that carries a high risk of collateral damage if Ukraine tries to disrupt Saturday’s festivities.
The AP quoted Putin as saying: “We have just described the situation to our friends, colleagues and partners: We do not intend to aggravate or worsen relations with anyone, but it can happen, because all control and decision-making centers in Kiev are located near diplomatic missions.” He added: “When we started such a dialogue with the US administration, we warned them about it, pointed out the possible consequences and asked them to do everything necessary to ensure the security of their diplomatic mission.”
He further noted that Moscow welcomed the US president’s offer to mediate a ceasefire, which was guided by humanitarian motives and “respect for our common victory over Nazism”.
The Russian president added that he could meet with Zelensky when the peace agreement is ready to be signed.
Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Friday, citing Victory Day celebrations.
Read also | Trump declared a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine
Trump declares a three-day truce
Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev on Friday on Truth Social, writing: “I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE-DAY CeaseFire (May 9, 10 and 11) in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The celebration in Russia is for Victory Day, but so is Ukraine as they were also a major factor in World War II.”
He added: “This ceasefire will include the suspension of all kinetic activity as well as the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each country. This request was made directly by me and I greatly appreciate his approval by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly and hard-fought war, they are continuing and we are continuing the biggest conflict war since World War II. They are getting closer and closer every day.”
Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian troops have been fighting in Ukraine for more than four years, longer than Soviet troops fought in World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.
Russian forces have so far failed to capture the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where Kievan forces have been pushed back into a line of fortress cities. Russian advances have slowed this year, although Moscow controls less than a fifth of Ukraine’s territory.
Putin, who has ruled Moscow either as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, is now facing a wave of anxiety in the country over the ongoing war in Kiev, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left Ukraine in ruins and drained Russia’s $3 trillion economy.
Key things
- Putin’s statements indicate a potential shift in the trajectory of the Ukrainian conflict.
- The three-day truce proposed by Trump could pave the way for further negotiations.
- The ongoing war significantly affected both nations and raised questions about future security measures in Europe.
