Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday claimed the war in Ukraine was approaching its end, while sharply criticising Western military support for Kyiv, as a US-brokered ceasefire began amid fresh accusations of violations from both sides.
Speaking after a scaled-down Victory Day parade in Moscow, Putin said Russian forces were battling an “aggressive force” in Ukraine backed by the entire NATO alliance, insisting Moscow’s objectives in the conflict remained “just.”
Putin has repeatedly framed the Ukraine war through the lens of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II — a narrative central to his 25-year rule and one he again invoked to justify Russia’s military campaign.
This year’s Victory Day celebrations were notably subdued, with no military hardware displayed for the first time in nearly two decades, as recent Ukrainian long-range attacks forced the Kremlin to tighten security and scale back the event.
Asked whether Western military assistance to Ukraine had crossed a line, Putin accused the West of escalating confrontation with Russia.
“They spent months waiting for Russia to suffer a crushing defeat, for its statehood to collapse. It didn’t happen. Now they are stuck and unable to step back,” he said.
He also said he was open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a neutral third country, but only after all conditions for a potential peace agreement had been settled.
“That meeting should mark the final point, not become part of the negotiations themselves,” Putin said.
Ceasefire marred by alleged violations
The remarks came as a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump took effect on Saturday following two failed truce attempts earlier this week.
While both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of violating the ceasefire, no major strikes were reported, though drone activity and civilian casualties continued on both sides.
Trump, posting on Truth Social, described the truce as a possible turning point in the conflict.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly and hard-fought war,” he wrote, adding that the ceasefire was expected to include a large-scale prisoner exchange.
Although both sides had agreed in principle to swap 1,000 prisoners each during the truce, Putin said Russia had yet to receive formal proposals from Ukraine.
The Kremlin also indicated there were currently no plans to extend the ceasefire beyond the announced three days.
Muted Victory Day amid war fatigue
Addressing troops at the Moscow parade — which included Russian forces and North Korean soldiers — Putin praised what he called the heroism of those fighting in Ukraine.
“The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today,” he said.
Despite the patriotic messaging, the event reflected growing strain inside Russia as the war enters its fifth year.
Internet outages imposed across parts of Moscow as a security measure drew frustration from residents, underscoring signs of public fatigue.
“Nothing,” said 36-year-old economist Elena when asked how she felt about Victory Day celebrations. “I need the Internet, and I don’t have it.”
Attendance at the parade was limited largely to leaders from Russia’s close allies, including Belarus, Malaysia, Laos, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, a sharp contrast to last year’s event, which featured high-profile guests such as Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Now in its fifth year, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and remains Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, with US-mediated peace efforts showing little tangible progress.
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