Putin says war in Ukraine near end; ready to meet Zelensky to discuss a long-term peace agreement

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine is 'nearing the end', even though the first day of the ceasefire brokered by the United States between the two sides still saw accusations of violations by both Moscow and Kyiv. At the same time, Russia held a Victory Day parade in Moscow on a smaller scale than usual. Speaking at the Victory Day parade in Moscow on Saturday, May 9, Putin said the war between Russia and Ukraine was cooling. He also said he is ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if the meeting is aimed at finalizing a long-term peace agreement. The Russian leader also stressed that Moscow is ready to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, while continuing to criticize Western support for Kyiv. For years, Putin has repeatedly invoked memories of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II as an important element of his political messaging. He also often cites this historical event to bolster his argument for Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Russia typically holds a large Victory Day parade in Moscow. However, after a string of long-range Ukrainian attacks in recent weeks, the Kremlin has tightened security measures and scaled back this year's commemorations. Answering reporters after the parade, when asked whether the West had gone too far in arming Ukraine, Putin accused these countries of escalating confrontation with Russia. "They have begun to escalate confrontation with Russia, and this situation continues to date. I believe the conflict is nearing its end, but this remains a serious issue," Putin said. The Russian leader also said he is willing to meet the Ukrainian president in a third country, but only if the conditions for a potential peace agreement have been agreed. "That meeting should be the final step to seal the agreement, not the starting point for negotiations," Putin said. After earlier ceasefire proposals from both Russia and Ukraine failed to yield results, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, May 8, announced that the two sides would begin a three-day ceasefire from Saturday. However, Moscow and Kyiv subsequently continued to accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. Nevertheless, as of Sunday, no major attacks had been reported. "Hopefully this is a first step toward ending a long war that has claimed many lives and is extremely brutal," Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also said the ceasefire would be accompanied by a prisoner exchange. Under the agreement, Russia and Ukraine also agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners on each side during the ceasefire. However, Putin said on Saturday that Russia had still not received any proposal from Ukraine regarding the exchange plan. The Kremlin said there are currently no plans to extend the ceasefire. In a post on X on Sunday, Zelensky said Kyiv is still negotiating with the United States on assurances to implement the recently announced agreements by the U.S. President. Russia's war in Ukraine has now entered its fifth year, becoming the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Diplomatic efforts led by the United States as mediator to end fighting between Russia and Ukraine have stalled since February, after Washington shifted focus to the Iran conflict.