Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, coinciding with the establishment of a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, said that the war in Ukraine is “coming to an end.”
On Saturday, May 9 (19th of Sawr), after holding the “Victory Day” ceremony, Putin told a press conference: “I think this conflict is coming to an end, but it is still considered a serious issue.”
Agence France-Presse reported that the Russian President described Ukrainian forces as “aggressors” during the briefing and said that they are fighting for NATO’s objectives.
According to the report, Putin stated: “The West and NATO, by supporting Kyiv, entered into confrontation with Russia. They expected Moscow to be defeated within a few months and for Russia to collapse, but this did not happen.”
He also said that he would only be willing to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, in a third country if the groundwork for a potential agreement has been laid, and that the meeting would be the final stage of the negotiation process.
Russia and Ukraine, through U.S. mediation, have declared a three-day ceasefire. This ceasefire coincides with Russia’s “Victory Day” celebrations, which annually commemorate the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Despite the ceasefire, both sides have accused each other since yesterday of violating the agreement and attacking civilians, although no major reports of large-scale fighting have emerged so far.
Donald Trump, the U.S. President who played a mediating role in this ceasefire, wrote on the social media platform “Truth Social”: “I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a long, deadly, and difficult war.”
He also added that the ceasefire would involve a prisoner exchange. During this ceasefire, each side was supposed to exchange a thousand prisoners.
However, Putin stated that Russia has not yet received an official proposal from Kyiv regarding the prisoner exchange.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
