Putin Says Russia, Ukraine War May Be Ending Despite Attacks | Vantage on Firstpost | 4K

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:00]Let's now talk about the other war. I'm talking about the war between Russia and Ukraine. Over the past few weeks, the world's attention has been fixated on the crisis in West Asia.

[00:00:10]And even as that crisis dominated headlines, the war in Ukraine never really stopped. Of course, it didn't.

[00:00:16]Attacks from both sides have continued.

[00:00:18]Drones have targeted cities. Missiles have hit civilian areas, and the front lines have remained active. Now, amid all of this, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a remark, and it is drawing global attention.

[00:00:31]Putin now says he believes the war is coming to an end.

[00:00:36]Western countries promised help and started stoking tensions with Russia, which continued to this day. I think things are coming to an end, but it's still a serious matter.

[00:00:48]That is a big statement, because this war is now in its fifth year.

[00:00:53]You know, Russia's conflict with Ukraine started in 2022. Moscow expected a quick military victory, but the conflict turned into Europe's deadliest war since World War II.

[00:01:03]Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed or wounded. Entire cities have been destroyed, and the war has reshaped global politics, energy markets, and Europe's security architecture.

[00:01:12]So, why is Putin talking about the war ending now?

[00:01:16]The timing of his comments is important.

[00:01:18]Putin made these remarks just after Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow.

[00:01:22]This is one of the most symbolic events in the country. It marks the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

[00:01:30]In the past, this parade was a massive show of Russian military power.

[00:01:35]Tanks rolling through the famous Red Square, missiles on display, and fighter jets flying over Moscow.

[00:01:41]But this year looked very different.

[00:01:43]Last Saturday, the parade was heavily scaled down. There was no large military displays, and the security was extremely tight. Take a look at these visuals.

[00:01:58]Komanduet paradom >> But why did Moscow downsize? Because of fears Ukrainian because of fears Ukrainian drone attacks.

[00:02:23]And that tells you something important about this war. Ukraine is no longer just defending its own territory. Kyiv is now capable of striking deep inside Russia.

[00:02:33]This is by using long-range drones. And those attacks have targeted Russian energy facilities, military sites, and infrastructure deep inside the country.

[00:02:43]So, Moscow is worried about that.

[00:02:45]At the same time, Russia's momentum on the battlefield is also slowed.

[00:02:49]The war has become very costly for Moscow in terms of troops, military equipment, and economic pressure.

[00:02:56]Kyiv, too, has adapted during the war.

[00:02:59]Its forces expanded their drone capabilities and improved their defensive positions across key front lines.

[00:03:05]So, while Russia still holds large areas of territory, the decisive breakthrough it once hoped for has not happened. And experts believe this is one reason why Moscow may now be more open to talks.

[00:03:19]Whoever wants to meet can come. Let them come to Moscow, and we will meet. A meeting in a third country is also possible, but only once final agreements have been reached on a peace treaty for a long-term historical perspective to take part in this event and sign, but it must be a final step.

[00:03:38]But this does not mean the war has stopped, far from it. In fact, even as Putin spoke about the possibility of an end, Moscow and Kyiv were still accusing each other of attacks.

[00:03:48]Let me put that into perspective for you. For Russia's Victory Day commemorations, a temporary 3-day ceasefire was announced last week. It was backed by US President Donald Trump.

[00:03:59]It came into effect on the 9th of May and is expected to end later today.

[00:04:04]In fact, Ukraine had also earlier said that it was ready for truce. Kyiv said its truce would begin on the 6th of May, but it claimed that the proposal was ignored by Moscow.

[00:04:14]The idea was basically to reduce fighting, create some breathing space, and possibly open the door for diplomatic talks on paper.

[00:04:21]That sounded like a positive development because for the first time in months, there was at least some public talk of de-escalation.

[00:04:30]But the truce has come under pressure already. Ukraine says Russian forces continued attacks along the front lines.

[00:04:38]This included drone strikes, shelling, and ground assault.

[00:04:46]The Russians continue their assault activity in directions that are key for them.

[00:04:51]There is shelling. There were drone strikes of various types at the front.

[00:04:55]Over yesterday and today, there were more than 150 assault actions, more than 100 instances of shelling, and nearly 10,000 kamikaze drone strikes.

[00:05:05]In other words, the Russian army is not observing the silence at the front and is not even particularly trying to. All our Ukrainian units are acting in a mirror-like manner, defending our positions exactly as required.

[00:05:19]Meanwhile, Moscow accuses Kyiv of ceasefire violations, too.

[00:05:22]So, while the large attacks may have reduced temporarily, the war itself never really paused. That is why Putin's comments are being watched so closely.

[00:05:32]But there is one area, though, where both sides appear to be moving forward.

[00:05:36]Russia and Ukraine are preparing for a major prisoner swap.

[00:05:40]This is with the help of American mediation. If it happens, it would be one of the biggest prisoner exchanges of the war.

[00:05:47]There are also signs of cautious diplomatic contact. Putin says he's open to meeting his Ukrainian counterpart, but only after a final peace framework is agreed upon.

[00:05:57]And here's how Zelenskyy responded.

[00:06:01]Now, Putin himself says that he is finally ready for real meetings. We pushed him a little, and we have been prepared for a meeting for a long time.

[00:06:08]So, a format must be found. This war must be ended, and security must be reliably guaranteed.

[00:06:17]But despite the comments, the trust deficit remains because the core issues of the war are still unresolved. Russia still holds Ukrainian territory. Kyiv wants it back, but Moscow is not willing to relinquish control.

[00:06:30]So, while there is now talk of ending the war, but turning those signals into a real peace deal remains a huge challenge.

[00:06:41]The countdown begins to the Trump-Xi summit amid the war in West Asia.

[00:06:48]The world's two largest economies at odds for years, trillions in trade tangled in tariffs.

[00:06:57]A global power contest over technology and Taiwan.

[00:07:02]The agenda is long, the trust is thin.

[00:07:05]The world will be watching and what's at stake for India.

[00:07:09]The news, the nuance, the analysis, all on Firstpost.

[00:07:18]The world moves fast. Power shifts.

[00:07:22]Unexpected developments. Changing alliances. Every day brings a new headline. [music] But headlines are only the beginning because behind every [music] story, there is context. There are consequences, and there are questions worth asking.

[00:07:41]Find the answers. understand the story, take on the world.

[00:07:47]This is Him Kaur Saroya for Firstpost Vantage.