Kremlin Echoes Putin: Ukraine Conflict Moving Toward Conclusion, 'Major Work' Still Remains

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Moscow believes the accumulated groundwork in the peace process indicates that the conflict in Ukraine is gradually approaching its conclusion, although he stressed that it is still too early to speak about concrete outcomes.

Speaking to reporters, Peskov explained that Putin's recent comments about the conflict nearing an end reflected Russia's continued openness to dialogue and mediation efforts. According to him, Moscow sees value in the work already conducted within trilateral negotiation formats and remains prepared to welcome further mediation by the United States.

Military Operations Could End Quickly Under Certain Conditions

Peskov emphasized that Russia's military operation could stop "at any moment” if the Ukrainian leadership agrees to what Moscow describes as the necessary political decisions. He argued that Kyiv is fully aware of the steps the Kremlin expects in order to bring the conflict to an end.

At the same time, he confirmed that the ceasefire declared by Russia for Victory Day celebrations had expired and that military operations had resumed.

The Kremlin spokesman also recalled Putin's earlier statement that he would be prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Moscow or elsewhere in the world if such a meeting were intended to finalize binding agreements rather than conduct preliminary discussions.

According to Peskov, any summit between the two leaders would only make sense once negotiators completed substantial preparatory work and fully finalized the settlement process.

Moscow Repeats Its Conditions for Peace

Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia wants to end the conflict through political and diplomatic means, but only after what he calls the "root causes” of the war are addressed.

Russian officials continue to insist on several key conditions for a settlement. These include Ukraine adopting a neutral and non-aligned status, abandoning any nuclear ambitions, and undergoing what Moscow describes as "demilitarization” and "denazification.” Russia also demands the lifting of all Western sanctions.

The Kremlin further maintains that the territories of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk and Lugansk republics, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, must be internationally recognized as part of Russia.

Putin Revisits Failed 2022 Istanbul Negotiations

During a press conference on May 9, Putin again referred to the negotiations held in Istanbul in 2022 between Russian and Ukrainian delegations. He stated that draft agreements had already been initialed at the time before the process ultimately collapsed.

According to the Russian president, French President Emmanuel Macron later told him that Ukraine could not sign such historic agreements while allegedly negotiating "with a gun to its head.” Putin said Russia subsequently agreed to withdraw troops from areas near Kyiv.

The Russian leader also claimed that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson later discouraged Kyiv from signing the agreement, arguing that the proposed settlement was unfair. Putin questioned who had the authority to define fairness if Ukrainian representatives themselves had already initialed the documents.

Putin argued that Western promises of support to Ukraine ultimately fueled a prolonged confrontation with Russia, although he added that he nevertheless believes the conflict is now moving toward a conclusion.

Ukraine Continues Diplomatic Contacts With the West

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials continue discussions with Western partners regarding potential formats for future negotiations. Volodymyr Zelensky recently said Ukrainian representatives had met American negotiators to discuss possible leader-level meetings aimed at ending the conflict.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha also stated that Kyiv hopes European countries will help revive peace negotiations with Russia, while clarifying that Ukraine does not seek to replace the role of the United States in the process.