Towards the end of the war in Ukraine? Russian President Vladimir Putin, interviewed on the occasion of Victory Day celebrating the end of World War II in Russia, assured on Saturday, May 9 that the conflict “is heading towards its end.” “I am firmly convinced that our cause is just,” Vladimir Putin had indicated earlier in the day regarding the Russian intervention in Ukraine.
Western countries, allies of Kiev, “have begun to intensify the confrontation with Russia, which continues to this day. I think it is coming to an end, but the situation remains serious,” he replied to a question about whether Western aid to Ukraine was going too far.
Vladimir Putin had earlier stated that his army was facing “aggressive” forces supported by NATO in Ukraine, during a brief speech on Red Square for modest commemorations of May 9, 1945, on the first day of a ceasefire accepted by Kiev — but which would be violated by both sides, according to accusations from both.
“The great feat of the victorious generation (against Adolf Hitler) inspires the soldiers leading the special military operation (in Ukraine) today. They are facing an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc,” declared Vladimir Putin, defending a “just cause.”
Announcing on Friday evening the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Donald Trump assured that the end of the war was “increasingly close,” as discussions resumed this week between Ukrainian and American negotiators in Florida. These talks had been overshadowed since the start of the war in the Middle East. On Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope for the arrival of American negotiators in Ukraine in the coming weeks.
The large-scale Russian offensive on Ukraine launched in 2022 and entering its fifth year has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. It is the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II.
[Context: This article discusses statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine and the possibility of it coming to an end. It also mentions the involvement of Western countries and the high human cost of the conflict.] [Fact Check: The claim that hundreds of thousands of deaths have occurred in the Ukrainian conflict should be verified with official sources.]
