Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted on Saturday that the Ukraine war could soon end.
“I think the matter is coming to an end,” Putin said, speaking to reporters after Russia’s Victory Day parade.
This comment was made in response to the question whether the aid given by Western countries to Ukraine has increased beyond limits.
The Russian leader said, “They started escalating the confrontation with Russia, which continues to this day. I think it is coming to an end, but it is still a serious matter.”
The ceasefire is another promising sign
Putin’s comments come as Kiev and Moscow this weekend observe a three-day ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on Friday after talks mediated by Washington.
European Council President Antonio Costa said on Thursday the EU is ready to negotiate separately with Russia and Ukraine “when the time is right.”
During his press conference, Putin was asked to name his preferred EU negotiator for those talks. He took the name of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
Schröder is one of Putin’s closest Western allies and a longtime personal friend. But he faced heavy criticism at home for those ties, which included lucrative board positions at Russian state-linked energy companies.
Putin also accused the EU of trying to escalate the conflict and warned Brussels that “this game could prove costly.”
Ukraine continues to receive large-scale support from Europe, especially equipment and technology.
What else did Putin say?
As part of a US-led peace deal this weekend, the two sides agreed to a major prisoner swap, but Putin said Moscow had not received any proposals from Ukraine on the matter.
“We are counting on the Ukrainian side to respond to the proposal made by the President of the United States. Unfortunately, we have not received any proposal yet,” he told reporters.
Putin said he was ready for direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but only after a permanent peace deal was agreed upon.
The Russian President, while discussing the Iran war, said that he hopes it will end as soon as possible, but if it does not happen then everyone will suffer.
Russia’s Victory Day commemorates the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II.