Putin Signals Potential End to Ukraine Conflict Following Scaled-Back Victory Day Parade
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on May 11, 2026, that the war in Ukraine is 'heading to an end,' though he emphasized that achieving Russian war aims remains a priority. Speaking in Moscow after a significantly downsized Victory Day parade, Putin expressed willingness to negotiate new European security arrangements, nominating former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a potential mediator. The comments come amid a fragile, U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire that both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of violating.