Russian president Vladimir Putin said he believed the war is “coming to an end” as Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a fragile US-backed ceasefire through drone strikes and clashes along the front lines.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian attacks continued in eastern regions despite the three-day truce, deepening Kyiv’s doubts about Moscow’s intentions.
Meanwhile, during Russia’s scaled-down Victory Day parade in Moscow, North Korean troops marched alongside Russian forces for the first time. The parade was a far cry from past years, where it has been used to show off Russia’s vast military, including its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters about the war, which he started more than four years ago.
He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany’s former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
However, many European leaders rejected the idea because of Schroeder’s close ties to the Kremlin.
Putin says Ukraine war ‘coming to an end’
Russian president Vladimir Putin said he believes the Ukraine war is “coming to an end,” remarks made shortly after Russia held a noticeably scaled-down Victory Day parade in Moscow.
Putin also hinted at possible future negotiations on European security and floated former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a potential intermediary, though many European leaders rejected the idea.
Maroosha Muzaffar11 May 2026 04:13
