Putin Claims War 'Coming to an End,' Offers to Meet Zelenskyy — But Only After Peace Treaty Finalized

On May 10, a day into the Trump-brokered ceasefire, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia's war on Ukraine is 'coming to an end' and offered to meet President Zelenskyy in a neutral third country — but only after a peace treaty is finalized, not during active negotiations. The Kremlin simultaneously said it expects US envoys to arrive 'quite soon' but conditioned further talks on Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donetsk — a demand Ukraine has firmly rejected. Putin made these statements while Russia continued to violate the declared ceasefire with ground assaults and drone strikes. Zelenskyy responded that Ukraine would 'strictly mirror' Russian actions, adding that Russia began May 10 with shelling and assault operations. Trump told reporters he was hopeful: 'I'd like to see a big extension. It could be.' The gap between Russia's stated diplomatic openness and its continued kinetic activity underscored Western skepticism about Moscow's ceasefire intentions.