Putin: The war in Ukraine is nearing its end

(Patria) - Russian President Vladimir Putin stated yesterday that he believes the war in Ukraine is nearing its end.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 caused the most serious crisis in relations between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when many feared the world was on the brink of nuclear war.

- I think the matter is coming to an end - Putin told reporters about the war in Ukraine.

The Financial Times reported on Thursday that European Union leaders are preparing for potential negotiations.

When asked if he was willing to negotiate with the Europeans, Putin said that his most preferred figure to negotiate with would be former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

The Kremlin said last week that it is up to European governments to take the first step, as they were the ones who broke off contact with Moscow in 2022 after the start of the war in Ukraine.

Putin spoke in the Kremlin after Russia held its most subdued Victory Day parade in years yesterday.

The national holiday on May 9 celebrates the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and honors the 27 million Soviet citizens who died in the war.

Victory in Ukraine, however, has been elusive for Russia, Reuters reports.

During four years of Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, Russian forces have so far failed to capture the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv's forces have been pushed back to the lines of fortified cities.

The war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, left parts of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia's three-trillion-dollar economy, while Russia's relations with Europe are worse than ever since the deepest parts of the Cold War.

When asked about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin said that a meeting with him is only possible after a lasting peace agreement is reached.