Putin says he thinks Ukraine conflict 'coming to an end'

The Russian leader sees potential for Ukraine negotiations, but condemns the West's backing for President Zelensky. Putin says he thinks Ukraine conflict 'coming to an end' Steve Rosenberg: Scaled-back Victory Parade in Moscow's Red Square Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested Russia's conflict with Ukraine could be drawing to a close. Speaking after Saturday's scaled-back Victory Day military parade in Moscow, he said: "I think that the matter is coming to an end" - referring to the "special military operation" in Ukraine - while condemning Western support for Kyiv. The parade - marking the Soviet victory in World War Two - lacked the usual display of tanks and missiles, as authorities feared Ukraine might target Red Square. A US-brokered ceasefire reduced the danger of attacks and the parade passed off without incident. However Ukraine and Russia later accused each other of violating the three-day truce. Putin's comments came just hours after he used his annual Victory Day speech to justify the war. In that speech he said Russia was fighting a "just" war and called Ukraine an "aggressive force" that was being "armed and supported by the whole bloc of Nato". Later, when asked at a news conference about the West helping Ukraine, Putin said: "They (West) promised assistance and then began fuelling a confrontation with Russia that continues to this day. I think that the matter is coming to an end, but it is a serious matter." Russian forces seized Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014, then launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin said he would only meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky once a lasting peace deal was agreed to. "A meeting in a third country is also possible, but only once final agreements have been reached on a peace treaty for a long‑term historical perspective, to take part in this event and sign (treaty), but it must be a final step," he continued. Putin said he had heard that Zelensky was ready to hold a personal meeting but added "this is not the first time we have heard such statements". Putin 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 Schröder. The ex-chancellor is a longstanding friend of Putin, and controversial because of his work for Russian state-owned energy firms. Last week European Council President António Costa said he believed there was "potential" for the EU to negotiate with Russia, and that Zelensky favoured such a move. Quoted by the Financial Times, Costa said he was consulting EU leaders on "what we need effectively to discuss with Russia when it comes to the right moment to do this". As part of the US-led ceasefire deal over the weekend, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country. But Putin said on Saturday that Russia had not yet heard from Ukraine about any exchanges. On Sunday Russia accused Ukraine of repeated violations of the ceasefire - including more than 6,000 drone strikes and hundreds of artillery attacks. Ukraine reported several people injured from Russian drone attacks in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. For the first time in nearly two decades there was no military hardware at the Red Square parade, which the Kremlin normally showcases to project Russian military power on the international stage. There were also far fewer journalists at the event, with many international media organisations not being granted access. Russian military servicemen gather during the Victory Day parade Russian military servicemen walk in groups on an empty street with some holding brass instruments. A marching band parades through the streets of Moscow Steve Rosenberg: This year's Victory Day parade in Moscow felt very different Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 07 May 2026 Trump says Russia and Ukraine to observe three-day ceasefire Memorials to fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv Ukraine remembers its dead as war enters a fifth year The country has seen its biggest military recruitment surge in 30 years, a major turnaround after years of falling behind on defence capabilities. The BBC's Russia editor reports from a Red Square with none of the military hardware which the Kremlin normally showcases to project power internationally. The Russian leader used his annual speech to justify his so-called special military operation in Ukraine. The BBC's Russia editor reports from Moscow, where the annual Victory Day display was quieter than usual. It comes as the two countries accused each other of violating separate ceasefires to cover the celebrations of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. Greek media say the drone, which reportedly had explosives, could be either Ukrainian or linked to the Russia-Ukraine war. An estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine. For the first time in nearly two decades, there will be no military hardware, just soldiers during Saturday's parade in Moscow.