Poutine declares war in Ukraine nearing its end

Russian President Vladimir Putin estimated on Saturday that the war in Ukraine was nearing its end. During an exchange with journalists after the May 9 celebrations commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, the Russian president was questioned about Western support for Ukraine. “A globalist wing of Western elites is fighting us through the Ukrainians,” he asserted, disregarding the fact that “it is Russia that launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022,” as highlighted by The Kyiv Independent. “I think it’s coming to an end, but the situation remains serious,” he added. Vladimir Putin also stated that he was prepared to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in a third country—a first since the beginning of hostilities—but only to finalize a peace agreement, not to engage in direct negotiations.

Brazil: Supreme Court suspends law reducing Bolsonaro’s prison sentence

The Supreme Court of Brazil suspended on Saturday the application of a law approved by Parliament in December that could “reduce the sentences of former President Jair Bolsonaro and others convicted of attempted coup,” reported Folha de Sao Paulo. The text had been censured by left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but lawmakers overturned the presidential veto in late April and the law was promulgated on Friday. Judge Alexandre de Moraes deemed it appropriate to await “the Supreme Court’s ruling on the constitutionality of the text,” which is subject to multiple “legal challenges,” as explained by the Brazilian newspaper. “Once again, democracy is shaken,” reacted Flavio Bolsonaro, senator and son of the former president.