Overview
- Putin told reporters during Victory Day events in Moscow that the conflict is coming to an end and again labeled it a special military operation.
- He said he would meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy only to sign a finalized peace treaty in a third country.
- Both sides paused fighting under a short ceasefire that included a large prisoner exchange, which President Donald Trump said he requested.
- Putin blamed Western support for Ukraine for prolonging the war and named former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a preferred interlocutor on European security.
- Active combat continues and Russia holds about one-fifth of Ukraine, with core disputes over territory and security guarantees still unresolved.