Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said he believed the conflict in Ukraine was approaching its end, amid renewed discussions in Europe over the possibility of diplomatic engagement with Moscow.
Putin also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements fir Europe, adding that his preferred negotiating partner would be former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Reuters reported.
His remarks came just hours after he had vowed victory in Ukraine at Moscow’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered the sharpest deterioration in relations between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis, a confrontation that had raised fears of a potential nuclear conflict during the Cold War era.
Speaking to reporters, Putin said, “I think that the matter is coming to an end,” referring to the war in Ukraine.
The remarks also came days after the Financial Times reported that leaders in the European Union were preparing for possible negotiations linked to the ongoing conflict.
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Putin Blames West For Conflict
The Kremlin said last week that European governments would need to initiate any renewed dialogue, arguing that they had cut off communication with Moscow following the start of the war in 2022.
Putin outlined his view on the origins of the war and accused Western powers of provoking tensions with Moscow.
He alleged that “globalist” Western leaders had assured Russia after the 1989 fall of the Fall of the Berlin Wall that NATO would not expand eastward, but later attempted to bring Ukraine closer to the European Union.
Trump Announces Temporary Ceasefire
After both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating unilateral ceasefires declared in recent days, Donald Trump announced a temporary truce running from Saturday to Monday, an arrangement that received support from both Moscow and Kyiv.
The two sides also agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners as part of the latest de-escalation efforts.
“I’d like to see it stop. Russia-Ukraine – it’s the worst thing since World War Two in terms of life. Twenty-five thousand young soldiers every month. It’s crazy,” Trump told reporters in Washington.
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He further said he would “like to see a big extension” of the ceasefire.
No immediate reports emerged from either Moscow or Kyiv alleging violations of the latest truce.
Russian forces have now been engaged in Ukraine for more than four years, a period longer than the Soviet Union’s participation in World War II, referred to in Russia as the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.
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