Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he believes the Ukraine conflict is moving toward its conclusion, a striking remark made as Russia and Ukraine entered a temporary three-day ceasefire.
“I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters when asked about the war, according to TASS, the Russian state media.
The comment came during a sensitive moment in the war. The United States announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire from May 9 to May 11, along with a planned exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. Ukrainian civilians welcomed the pause after years of Russian missile and drone attacks, although both sides have accused each other of violating earlier ceasefires.bold text
Putin’s statement also came amid renewed discussion of possible diplomatic channels. Reuters reported that European Union leaders are preparing for potential talks, while Putin suggested that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder would be his preferred European interlocutor. The Kremlin has said European governments should make the first move because they cut contact with Moscow after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
