Putin Declares Russia-Ukraine Conflict "Moving Toward an End" at Victory Day, Russia Resumes Airstrikes and Rejects Ukraine's Unilateral Ceasefire

On May 9, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the 81st anniversary Victory Day parade on Red Square and subsequently held a wide-ranging press conference addressing the Ukraine conflict, the Iran war, and Russia-China relations. Putin stated that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is "moving toward an end," but revealed that Moscow had presented Kyiv with a list of 500 Ukrainian prisoners of war prior to any American mediation, after which the Ukrainian side simply "disappeared from our sight." He said he would neither seek nor refuse a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but insisted such a summit could only occur when both sides were ready to sign a final agreement. Earlier, on May 4, the Russian Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire for May 8-9 in honor of Victory Day, expressing hope that Ukraine would reciprocate.

Zelensky subsequently declared a unilateral ceasefire effective May 6, but Russia recorded over 1,630 violations by Ukrainian forces and responded with reciprocal strikes. On May 12, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russia had resumed airstrikes across Ukraine in response to continued Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, warning that if Kyiv refused to negotiate, Russia would pursue intensified military action until achieving "victory." Putin also accused Europe of driving the escalation, warning that the continent could pay a heavy price. Regarding bilateral ties with China, Putin emphasized that Russia-China coordination remains the most important factor in maintaining international stability, particularly as disarmament and non-proliferation treaties have virtually disappeared.