Putin Declares Ukraine War 'Coming to an End,' Offers Conditional Meeting with Zelensky in Third Country

On May 10, 2026 — the second day of the US-brokered 3-day ceasefire — Russian President Vladimir Putin made his most significant public remarks about ending the war, declaring 'I think the matter is coming to an end, but it's still a serious matter.' Putin expressed conditional willingness to meet Ukrainian President Zelensky in a third country, but only 'once all conditions for a potential peace agreement were settled,' emphasizing such a meeting would be 'the final point, not the negotiations themselves.' He stated Gerhard Schröder, Germany's former Chancellor and long-time Putin ally, would be his preferred European negotiating partner. Putin also indicated willingness to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe. The remarks came during Russia's scaled-back Victory Day ceremonies and were closely watched by Western diplomats as the most explicit acknowledgment yet that Russia views the war's current phase as potentially drawing toward negotiation. However, analysts noted that Putin's conditions — effectively requiring Ukraine to accept territorial losses before any meeting — are incompatible with Ukraine's stated peace formula. Zelensky had previously proposed direct talks without preconditions; Putin's formulation reverses that sequencing, insisting all terms be agreed before any summit. European and American officials cautiously welcomed the signals while noting that continued Russian attacks during the ceasefire undercut any diplomatic momentum.