Putin Says Ukraine War Is Coming to an End

The Russian president said he believes the war with Ukraine is "coming to an end" after more than four years of fighting. " The comments came hours after he used his annual speech to justify the conflict as a "just" war against an "aggressive" Ukraine backed by NATO. The parade lacked its usual display of tanks and missiles, as authorities feared potential attacks.

-brokered three-day ceasefire announced Friday reduced the risk, and the event passed without incident. He said he would only meet Ukraine's president once a lasting peace deal is reached, adding that a meeting in a third country could occur as the final step to sign a treaty for a long-term perspective.

" The Russian president said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe. He proposed Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, a longtime ally, as mediator. Schroeder, 82, has remained close to the Kremlin and worked for Russian state-owned energy firms since leaving office.

Berlin reacted with skepticism to the mediation idea. -brokered ceasefire. Russia on Sunday reported more than 6,000 Ukrainian drone strikes and hundreds of artillery attacks. Ukraine reported several people injured from Russian drone attacks in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

As part of the ceasefire deal, the sides had agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners each. The Russian leader said on Saturday that Moscow had not yet heard from Ukraine about any exchanges. Russia seized Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014 before launching a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

While the Russian leader has vowed to continue fighting until all goals are met, battlefield momentum has slowed. At the current rate it could take over three decades to fully seize the Donbas region, according to one analysis. Longer-term peace talks remain stalled.

Far fewer journalists attended, with many international outlets denied access. The Russian leader's comments followed European Council President António Costa's statement last week that he saw "potential" for the EU to negotiate with Russia, with Ukraine's president reportedly favoring such a move.