Putin says he thinks war ‘coming to an end’ after scaled-back Victory Day parade

Swipe for next article As it happenedended Putin says he thinks war ‘coming to an end’ after scaled-back Victory Day parade Putin also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine was “coming to an end” - just hours after vowing victory in the conflict at a dramatically scaled-back parade in Moscow on Saturday. "I think that the matter is coming to an end," Putin told reporters of the war, which started more than four years ago. He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. His comments came after the annual Victory day parade on Moscow, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. During the event, the Russian leader had voiced that he was confident of victory in Ukraine. “Victory has always been and will be ours,” Putin said, as columns of troops lined up on Red Square. “The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valour, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.” Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree "permitting" Russia to hold the Victory military parade and said his forces wouldn’t target Red Square, after Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire. The parade was a far cry from past years, where it has been used to show off Russia's vast military, including its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles. Pinned Follow latest updates on Russia-Ukraine war here Ukraine war latest: Putin claims war ‘coming to an end’ as debate grows over Schröder Putin suggests former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder could help mediate peace talks but many European leaders rejected the idea Maroosha Muzaffar11 May 2026 04:19 Victory Day celebrated in the Donetsk region of Russian-controlled Ukraine Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 11:21 Oldest living World War Two veteran attends Victory Day parade The oldest living veteran of World War Two is in attendance at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia. Kirill Semyonov is 103 years old, TASS news agency reported. He was seated next to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar9 May 2026 11:30 Kremlin says ceasefire in Ukraine war is for three days, not for longer The ceasefire in the war between Ukraine and Russia will not extend past three days, despite Donald Trump’s wishes, a Kremlin aide has said. Yuri Ushakov said on Saturday that the agreement is meant to last for three days, not for longer. It comes after Trump told reporters: “I'd like to see a big extension.” The US president said he hoped the ceasefire was “the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought war”. Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 11:39 France arrests Ukrainian linked to Russian torture prison French police have arrested a Ukrainian man charged with committing war crimes at the Russian-run Izolyatsia prison in Donetsk. The man is suspected of having voluntarily collaborated with Russian officials from 2017 to 2019, while assisting the head of the prison in torturing detainees, Ukraine's prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko said. He has been living in France since 2021. The torture prison was set up by Russian forces at the premises of a former factory and art centre, Izolyatsia, in Donetsk after capturing the city in 2014. It swiftly became known as a site of illegal imprisonment and torture of many Ukrainian prisoners of war, along with activists and journalists, according to Kyiv Independent. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar9 May 2026 12:00 Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of ceasefire violations Russia has claimed that Ukraine has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement on its first day, but insisted the three-day truce was still holding. Ukraine accused Russia of violating ‌a ceasefire ​declared ‌by Kyiv ⁠earlier ⁠this week after it launched drone attacks on multiple cities. Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 12:06 What security measures are in place at Russia's Victory Day celebrations? Security was tight in Moscow as Vladimir Putin spoke at a Red Square parade. Victory Day parades on Red Square have involved a broad array of heavy weapons — from armoured vehicles to nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles — every year since 2008. Smaller parades are held elsewhere across the country, but this time many of them have also been pared down or even canceled altogether for security reasons. The authorities on Saturday ordered restrictions on all mobile internet access and text messaging services in the Russian capital, citing the need to ensure public safety. The government has methodically tightened internet censorship and established increasingly stringent controls over online activities, causing rumblings and rare public expressions of discontent. Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 12:30 In pictures: Putin at Victory Day celebrations in Moscow Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 13:00 'I have lost everything... We need peace': Ukrainians welcome ceasefire but demand long-term solution Ukrainians have welcomed a three-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, but say a long-term solution is urgently needed. Kateryna Kizev, 22, who fled the frontline city of Kherson in the ⁠south and now lives in Cherkasy in central Ukraine, said: “On the one hand, this is very good because, honestly, the sleepless nights have gotten a bit tiresome. “At least for a few days we will be able to sleep in peace and without the attacks.” Oleksandr Boik, in Kharkiv, stated: “This ceasefire - for a day, or two or three - these are temporary measures. We ⁠need peace. It is the fifth year already. It is enough. Another Kharkiv resident, Ramaz Tsytsyashvili, ‌said he hoped that the ceasefire would ​open the way for more talks to end the war. “I have lost everything... We need peace. “And perhaps there ‌will be a miracle and this temporary silence, this ceasefire, ​will hold up a bit and continue, and then step by step it will move to negotiations, and affairs will be solved in offices, not on the battlefield.” Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 13:30 Recap: Zelensky vows to defend European future on 'Europe Day' As the Victory Day parade commenced in Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shared a post on social media to commemorate Europe Day. He said on X: "Today is Europe Day. And Ukraine marks it not formally or with banners, but truly knowing that we are already an inseparable part of the European family. "We defend Ukraine, our independence, our future, and thereby we in Ukraine defend our Europe, a part of which Ukraine has been and will be." Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 14:00