Vladimir Putin has signalled that his country’s war with Ukraine may be ‘coming to an end’, as the Russian president again blamed the West for prolonging the fighting through military support to Kyiv.Speaking after Victory Day events in Moscow, Putin said on Sunday that he was ready to hold direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Moscow or a neutral country.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listHis comments come as Russia and Ukraine observe a short three-day United States-backed ceasefire and continue prisoner-swap discussions. However, broader peace talks remain stalled, and the two sides continue to carry out attacks against each other.Ukrainian officials said on Sunday that Russian attacks left at least three people dead, and that close to 150 combat engagements had occurred on the front lines in the previous 24 hours.The remarks also reflect mounting pressure on both sides after more than four years of war that has devastated parts of Ukraine and strained Russia’s economy.What did Putin say?“I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.The Russian leader, however, added he would be willing to meet Zelenskyy only after the terms of a peace agreement had already been settled. The Kremlin had rejected US President Donald Trump’s August 2025 offer to hold a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump.“This should be the final point, not the negotiations themselves,” Putin said after the Vic …
