Russian President Vladimir Putin smiles whereas visiting the We Are Collectively Fourm and Awards Ceremony, on December 3, 2025 in Moscow, Russia.
Contributor | Getty Pictures
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Saturday that he thought the Ukraine battle was coming to an finish, remarks that got here simply hours after he had vowed victory in Ukraine at Moscow’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years.
“I feel that the matter is coming to an finish,” Putin instructed reporters of the Russia-Ukraine battle, Europe’s deadliest battle since World Warfare II. He additionally stated he could be prepared to barter new safety preparations for Europe and that his most popular negotiating accomplice could be Germany’s former Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered probably the most critical disaster in relations between Russia and the West for the reason that 1962 Cuban Missile Disaster, when many individuals feared the world was getting ready to nuclear battle.
The Kremlin has stated peace talks brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration had been on pause. Putin has repeatedly vowed to struggle on till all of Russia’s varied battle goals are achieved in what Moscow calls the “particular navy operation.”
Putin was talking on the Kremlin after setting out his view of the battle’s causes. He blamed “globalist” Western leaders, saying they promised NATO wouldn’t increase eastward after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, however then tried to attract Ukraine into the European Union’s orbit.
His assertion got here simply hours after the parade on the Might 9 nationwide vacation celebrating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World Warfare II. The annual occasion pays homage to the 27 million Soviet residents who perished in that battle.
As a substitute of the standard intercontinental ballistic missiles, tanks and missile methods rolling throughout the cobbles of Crimson Sq., Russia performed a video of its navy {hardware} in motion on large screens reverse the Kremlin partitions.
Russian troops have been preventing in Ukraine for nicely over 4 years. That’s longer than Soviet forces fought in World Warfare Two, identified in Russia because the Nice Patriotic Warfare of 1941-45.
Warfare in Europe
Putin, who has dominated Russia as president or prime minister for the reason that final day of 1999, faces a wave of hysteria in Moscow in regards to the battle in Ukraine, which has killed tons of of hundreds of individuals, left swathes of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s $3 trillion economic system. Russia’s relations with Europe are worse than at any time for the reason that depths of the Chilly Warfare.
Russian forces have to this point been unable to take the entire of the Donbas area of jap Ukraine the place Kyiv’s forces have been pushed again to a line of fortress cities. Russian advances have slowed this yr, although Moscow controls just below one fifth of Ukrainian territory.
After Russia and Ukraine accused one another of violating unilateral ceasefires they’d every declared over current days, U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a three-day ceasefire from Saturday to Monday that was supported by the Kremlin and Kyiv. The 2 sides additionally agreed to trade 1,000 prisoners.
“I might wish to see it cease. Russia-Ukraine – it is the worst factor since World Warfare Two by way of life. Twenty-five thousand younger troopers each month. It is loopy,” Trump instructed reporters in Washington.
He added that he would “wish to see a giant extension” of the ceasefire. There have been no reviews of violations of the ceasefire from both Moscow or Kyiv.
Talks with Schröder?
European Council President António Costa stated final week that he believed there was “potential” for the EU to barter with Russia and focus on the way forward for Europe’s safety structure.
Requested if he was prepared to have interaction in talks with the Europeans, Putin stated his most popular determine was Schröder.
“For me personally, the previous Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Schröder, is preferable,” Putin stated.
European leaders have stated Russia should be defeated in Ukraine and solid Putin as a battle felony and autocrat who they are saying may sooner or later assault a NATO member if he’s allowed to win the battle. Russia dismisses such claims as nonsense.
Putin, who ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022, casts European powers as warmongers for supporting Ukraine with tens of billions of {dollars} in assist, weapons and intelligence.
Requested about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin stated a gathering was doable solely as soon as an enduring peace deal was agreed.
