Kremlin backs Putin's claim that war in Ukraine is 'moving toward conclusion'
Dmitry Peskov reiterated the Kremlin’s demand for “necessary decisions” that, according to the Kremlin, Kyiv must adopt (Photo: REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov/Pool)
Existing groundwork on ending Russia's war against Ukraine "allows [Moscow] to speak of an approaching conclusion," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 12, while adding it is too early to discuss specifics, Russian state-affiliated outlet RBC reported.
Peskov made the remarks while commenting on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's statement, made after the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow, that the war against Ukraine is purportedly "moving toward its conclusion."
The Kremlin spokesman said Putin was referring to Moscow's claimed openness to contacts and to work conducted in a trilateral format. Peskov also claimed the Kremlin would welcome continued mediation efforts from Washington.
Peskov reiterated Moscow’'s standing demand for unspecified "necessary decisions" it says Kyiv must make.
The May 9 parade in Moscow lasted 45 minutes — the shortest in modern Russian history. For the first time in years, no military hardware was displayed; it was replaced by video footage of weapons being used in combat. Internet outages were reported in central Moscow during the event.
During the parade, Putin delivered a speech claiming military "victories" despite successful Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory and a slowdown in Russian frontline advances. He parroted his narrative that Russia is at war with the entire NATO alliance, not just Ukraine.
Following the parade, Putin declared that "the matter is moving toward its conclusion," referring to the war in Ukraine. "I think the matter is heading toward a conclusion, but it is still a serious thing," he said.
Putin also claimed, without evidence, that Ukraine and the West had expected Russia's "crushing defeat and the collapse of its statehood within a few months" but that this had "not worked out" for them.
Analysts at the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed Putin's remarks skeptically, noting there are no indications the Kremlin genuinely intends to halt its aggression.
They also noted that Putin explained the absence of military hardware at the May 9 parade by saying Russian forces should "focus on the final defeat of Ukraine" — a statement ISW said signals Moscow remains committed to its maximalist goals of forcing Ukrainian capitulation.
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