Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he believes the war in Ukraine is “coming to an end,” making the remarks during a briefing with reporters in Moscow on Saturday. His statement came shortly after he attended a scaled-back Victory Day parade, where he reiterated Russia’s commitment to achieving victory in the ongoing conflict.

Putin told reporters, “I think that the matter is coming to an end,” referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, which he described as Europe’s deadliest conflict since the Second World War. He also expressed openness to discussing new security arrangements for Europe and suggested that his preferred counterpart for negotiations would be former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

The war, which began with Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, has severely strained relations between Russia and Western nations, marking the most significant geopolitical crisis since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The conflict has continued for more than two years despite multiple diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire or peace settlement.

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The Kremlin has previously stated that peace talks facilitated by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump were currently on hold. Meanwhile, Putin has consistently maintained that Russia will continue its military campaign until its stated objectives, which Moscow refers to as the “special military operation,” are fully achieved.

In his remarks, Putin also reiterated his criticism of Western countries, accusing so-called “globalist” leaders of breaking assurances that NATO would not expand eastward after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He further argued that attempts to bring Ukraine closer to Western institutions contributed to the escalation of the conflict, while reaffirming Russia’s position on the origins and objectives of the war.

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