Moscow, Russia. The Kremlin reiterated President Vladimir Putin’s assertion that the war in Ukraine was nearing an end, after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had no intention of stopping the conflict.
Putin remarks and Kremlin response
Putin told reporters on Saturday that “the matter is coming to an end,” referring to the war, now in its fifth year. Asked on Tuesday about Putin’s remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said trilateral work with Ukraine and the United States had been done toward finding a peace deal.
Peskov said the accumulated groundwork “allows us to say that the completion is indeed approaching,” while adding it was difficult to provide specific details at the current time.
Zelenskiy says Russia does not plan to end the war
On Monday, Zelenskiy said Russia had no intention of ending the war and that Ukraine was preparing for new attacks.
U.S.-led talks and positions of the sides
U.S. President Donald Trump has convened multiple rounds of talks with the warring sides to try to end the conflict, but no peace deal has emerged. Russia, which occupies around a fifth of Ukraine, wants Kyiv to cede additional territory, while Kyiv wants Russian troops to withdraw.
Potential meeting and further mediation
Peskov said Russia would welcome further U.S. mediation efforts and that Putin was prepared to meet Zelenskiy in person once the peace process was finalised. He added that significant preparatory work was still needed and that the conflict could end as soon as Kyiv and Zelenskiy “take the necessary decision”.
Ceasefire and continued fighting
The sides agreed to a short, U.S.-mediated ceasefire from May 9-11, coinciding with the anniversary of the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War Two. Neither side reported large-scale airstrikes during the ceasefire, but both said fighting continued along the front line and accused each other of drone and artillery attacks.
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