Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the war in Ukraine is “heading to an end,” even as both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of violating the first day of a US‑brokered three‑day ceasefire.
Speaking after a scaled‑down Victory Day parade in Moscow, Putin again framed the invasion as a defensive struggle against an “aggressive force” backed by NATO. He invoked the memory of the Soviet victory in World War II a central theme of his rule to justify Russia’s ongoing military campaign.
Security concerns following recent Ukrainian long‑range strikes led the Kremlin to reduce the size of this year’s celebrations.
Putin criticised Western military support for Ukraine, saying: “They spent months waiting for Russia to suffer a crushing defeat… It didn’t work out.” He added that Western governments had “got stuck in that groove and now they can’t get out of it.”
The Russian leader said he would only meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a third country after all terms of a potential peace agreement were finalised “the final point, not the negotiations themselves.”
Ceasefire Begins With Tensions and Accusations
US President Donald Trump announced the temporary truce on Friday, calling it a hopeful step toward ending the conflict. “Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Despite the ceasefire, both sides reported drone activity and civilian casualties, though no major strikes were confirmed. The Kremlin said there were currently no plans to extend the truce.
The agreement also included a 1,000‑for‑1,000 prisoner exchange, but Putin said Russia had not yet received formal proposals from Ukraine.
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