MOSCOW, Russia: Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine was “heading to an end” while sharply criticising Western military support for Kyiv, as a US-brokered ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine came into effect amid mutual accusations of violations.
Speaking after Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow, Putin accused Western countries of escalating the confrontation with Russia through military aid to Ukraine.
“They started ratcheting up the confrontation with Russia, which continues to this day,” Putin said.
“I think it (the conflict) is heading to an end but it’s still a serious matter.”
The Russian leader also claimed Western nations had expected Russia to collapse under pressure.
“They spent months waiting for Russia to suffer a crushing defeat, for its statehood to collapse. It didn’t work out,” he said.
Putin added that he remained open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a third country once all conditions for a peace agreement were settled.
Meanwhile, Moscow and Kyiv traded accusations of ceasefire violations during the first day of a three-day truce announced by US President Donald Trump on Friday. Despite continued drone activity and civilian casualties, no major strikes were reported.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The ceasefire is also expected to include a large prisoner exchange, with both sides agreeing in principle to swap 1,000 prisoners each.
Russia’s Victory Day parade was significantly scaled down this year due to security concerns following repeated Ukrainian drone attacks. No military hardware was displayed, and only a limited number of foreign leaders attended the event.
