11
May
In a stunning departure from his usual defiant tone, President Vladimir Putin used the backdrop of a scaled-back Victory Day parade on May 9, 2026 to imply that the four-year-old war in Ukraine is finally “heading to an end.” After a ceremony in Moscow that conspicuously avoided its usual display of heavy tanks and missiles, Putin told reporters the situation remains “serious” but the conflict is winding down to a settlement. This shift is part of a U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire (May 9-11) orchestrated by President Donald Trump that included a high-stakes exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. Putin reiterated…
