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Putin Says Ukraine Conflict Is Ending as US-Brokered Ceasefire Begins
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Saturday that the conflict in Ukraine is coming to an end, hours after presiding over a pared-back Victory Day parade on Red Square. The remarks followed the start of a three-day ceasefire brokered by President Trump that included a prisoner exchange.
May 9, 1:56 PM·2m read31 sources
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that he thinks “the matter is coming to an end” in Ukraine, hours after a scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow and on the first day of a three-day ceasefire brokered by the United States. Putin made the remark to reporters inside the Kremlin.
He added that he would be willing to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a neutral country, but only to sign final agreements. President Trump announced the truce on Friday, describing it as a potential “beginning of the end” to the conflict.
The deal includes a prisoner exchange of 1,000 detainees from each side, with both countries agreeing to halt attacks through Monday.
The annual May 9 parade on Red Square marked 81 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany. It featured personnel from military academies marching through the square and combat jets conducting a traditional flyover. The only mechanized equipment on display was an Aurus limousine, according to open-source analysts.
No tanks or nuclear launchers appeared. Moscow was placed under tight security. North Korean troops marched in the parade for the first time. Putin delivered an address in which he stated that Russia is fighting for a “just cause” in Ukraine. He declared that “Russia will always be victorious” and linked the sacrifices of the Soviet “greatest generation” in World War II to current operations.
Zelensky issued a decree ordering Ukrainian forces not to attack the parade, stating that returning prisoners was more important than disrupting the event. Putin told reporters that Moscow’s prior warnings of massive retaliation if the parade were struck had helped produce the ceasefire agreement.
The truce appeared to hold through the day, with no large-scale attacks reported. Putin also expressed hope that the conflict between Iran and the United States “will end as soon as possible,” according to a direct readout of his remarks. Trump said he was prepared to send a high-powered U.S. delegation to Moscow as part of intensified efforts to end the conflict.
