Russian President Vladimir Putin said he believed the war in Ukraine was approaching its conclusion, though he cautioned that the conflict remained serious. His remarks came after a reduced Victory Day parade in Moscow and during the opening day of a three-day ceasefire brokered by the United States.
Putin blamed Western governments for prolonging confrontation with Russia and argued that expectations of a decisive Russian defeat had failed. Earlier, addressing troops at the parade, he characterized Ukraine as an aggressive power supported by NATO and said Russia's military aims were justified. The statements combined a suggestion that fighting could wind down with a continued defence of the invasion and criticism of Kyiv's allies.
He also outlined a restrictive condition for direct contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Putin said such a meeting in a third country should occur only after the terms of a potential peace accord had already been settled, making a leaders' encounter the final step rather than a forum for substantive negotiation.
The truce began after two unsuccessful ceasefire efforts earlier in the week. President Donald Trump announced the three-day arrangement and said it would include a prisoner exchange. Russia and Ukraine accused each other of breaches after it took effect, although the supplied report said no major strikes were recorded. Drone activity continued, and civilian casualties were reported on both sides. The Kremlin said it had no current plan to extend the pause.
The parties had agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each during the ceasefire. Putin said Moscow had not received a Ukrainian proposal for implementing the swap. That left a key humanitarian element of the arrangement unresolved in the account available on the event date.
Security concerns visibly affected Russia's annual commemoration of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Recent long-range Ukrainian attacks led authorities to tighten precautions and scale back the event. No military hardware appeared in the Red Square parade for the first time since 2008, and only a small group of foreign leaders attended. Russia also imposed intermittent internet shutdowns, citing the threat of Ukrainian attacks.
The war had entered its fifth year, with casualties estimated in the hundreds of thousands and US-supported negotiations making limited progress. Washington's diplomatic focus had also shifted after the outbreak of its conflict with Iran in February. Against that background, Putin's assessment offered no timetable, agreed roadmap or concession. The immediate test was narrower: whether the temporary ceasefire and proposed prisoner exchange could hold long enough to create momentum for further talks. On the evidence available, both remained uncertain.
