Putin says he thinks Ukraine conflict 'coming to an end'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he thinks Russia's conflict with Ukraine is coming to an end, addressing reporters after a scaled-back military parade in Moscow marking the Soviet victory in World War Two. "I think that the matter is coming to an end," he said, referring to the "special military operation" in Ukraine, while condemning Western support for the Kyiv government. A last-minute ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by US President Donald Trump, reduced the danger of any attack and the parade passed off without incident. In that speech he said Russia was fighting a "just" war and called Ukraine an "aggressive force" that was being "armed and supported by the whole bloc of Nato". Later, when asked at a news conference about the West helping Ukraine, Putin said: "They (West) promised assistance and then began fuelling a confrontation with Russia that continues to this day. I think that the matter is coming to an end, but it is a serious matter." Russian forces seized Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014, then launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "A meeting in a third country is also possible, but only once final agreements have been reached on a peace treaty for a long‑term historical perspective, to take part in this event and sign (treaty), but it must be a final step," he continued. Putin said he had heard that Zelensky was ready to hold a personal meeting but added "this is not the first time we have heard such statements". Putin 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 Schröder. The ex-chancellor is a longstanding friend of Putin, and controversial because of his work for Russian state-owned energy firms. As part of the US-led ceasefire deal over the weekend, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country. But Putin said on Saturday that Russia had not yet heard from Ukraine about any exchanges.