Putin Says Ukraine War Winding Down, Blasts West for Backing Kyiv
The Moscow Times • • nation
Key Points:
- President Vladimir Putin declared the war in Ukraine was winding down while condemning Western military support for Kyiv, during a scaled-down Victory Day parade in Moscow marked by heightened security and fewer foreign dignitaries.
- Putin framed the conflict as a fight against an "aggressive force" backed by NATO and emphasized the justness of Russia's war goals, invoking the Soviet World War II victory to rally support.
- A U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire began Saturday with mutual accusations of violations between Russia and Ukraine, though no major strikes were reported; both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, but Russia stated it had not yet received proposals from Ukraine.
- The Victory Day parade was notably smaller with no military hardware displayed for the first time in nearly 20 years, reflecting security concerns after recent Ukrainian attacks and public war fatigue in Russia.
- Despite ongoing U.S.-mediated talks, little progress has been made toward ending the conflict, which has now entered its fifth year and remains Europe's deadliest since World War II.
