Ceasefire, prisoner exchange and Putin’s statement – ​​is the Russia-Ukraine war now at its last juncture?

Russian President Vladimir Putin Moscow said on Saturday that the Ukraine war is “coming to an end”, in what is being considered the strongest signal yet that Moscow can now move forward on the path of negotiations after more than four years of this fierce conflict.

“I think the matter is now moving towards the end,” Putin told reporters during the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. During this time, a limited military parade was organized on Red Square amidst heavy security.

His statement has come at a time when Russia and Ukraine have started a three-day ceasefire with the support of America and have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each. This is considered to be one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the war started.

How important is Putin’s statement?

This statement of Putin has immediately attracted attention at the global level. Till now the Kremlin has been giving the message of its military strength, but this time its words are indicating diplomatic activity behind the scenes. A European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “It seems that Moscow now wants to signal that the door to talks is not completely closed.”

This year the Victory Day Parade also looked quite different than before. Usually tanks and heavy weapons are displayed on Red Square, but this time it did not happen. Instead, missiles, drones and fighter jets were shown on big screens, while soldiers who had fought in Ukraine marched in front of the Kremlin walls.

What did Putin say in his speech?

In his nearly eight-minute speech, Putin praised Russian troops and accused NATO of supporting an “aggressive force” against Russia. According to reports, North Korean soldiers fighting with Russia in the Kursk region also participated in the parade.

Putin also gave hints regarding future diplomacy with Europe. When asked if he was ready for talks with European leaders, he took the name of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and said he would give him priority.

Did he say this on his meeting with Zelensky?

On the question of a direct meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin said that such a meeting will take place only if both sides agree on the framework of permanent peace. The Kremlin says that after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022, European countries had broken contact with Moscow and now Western countries should take the initiative to restore talks.

What did Donald Trump say?

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump appealed to prolong the ceasefire. He said, “I want it to stop. The Russia-Ukraine war is the worst situation since World War II in terms of casualties.” At present, there has been no immediate news of major ceasefire violations despite both sides accusing each other in recent days.

This war, which started with Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022, has become Europe’s deadliest conflict after the Second World War. Millions of people have been killed or injured, many Ukrainian cities have been destroyed and relations between Russia and Western countries have fallen to Cold War-like levels.