Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that his country's war with Ukraine may be 'coming to an end', as he again blamed the West for prolonging the fighting through military support to Kyiv.
Speaking after Victory Day events in Moscow, Putin said on Sunday that he was ready to hold direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Moscow or a neutral country.
His comments come as Russia and Ukraine observe a short three-day US-backed ceasefire and continue prisoner-swap discussions. However, broader peace talks remain stalled, and the two sides continue to carry out attacks against each other.
Ukrainian officials said on Sunday that Russian attacks left at least three people dead, and that close to 150 combat engagements had occurred on the front lines in the previous 24 hours.
'I think that the matter is coming to an end,' Putin told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine war. The Russian leader, however, added he would be willing to meet Zelenskyy only after the terms of a peace agreement had already been settled. The Kremlin had rejected US President Donald Trump's August 2025 offer to hold a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump.
Putin said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements with Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who has faced heavy criticism for his close relationship with the Russian president.
According to analyst Keir Giles of Chatham House, Putin's suggestion that the end of the war may be approaching is driven more by global 'hope and optimism' than by a sober reading of his words. He cautioned against interpreting Putin's comments as a reliable indicator that the conflict is genuinely nearing resolution.
The war has killed tens of thousands on both sides, left swathes of eastern Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia's $3 trillion economy. Western-led sanctions have also impacted Russia's economy, while Moscow's relations with Europe are at their worst since the Cold War.
Source: www.aljazeera.com