Kremlin says there are no specifics on ending Ukraine war, despite Putin’s words

The Kremlin has poured cold water on any expectation of a breakthrough in Ukraine, saying there is still no detailed roadmap to end the war just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II might be nearing its conclusion.

Overnight, Moscow and Kyiv traded fresh strikes after a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump expired, with both sides blaming the other for breaching the pause.

Speaking at the weekend after criticizing NATO and voicing hope for rapid gains by Russian forces, Mr Putin said he believed the war was “heading to an end” but offered no explanation of what he meant.

The remark only deepened uncertainty. Efforts to halt Russia’s offensive have so far failed to produce results, and Mr Putin has shown no indication he is prepared to retreat from his sweeping demands on Ukraine.

“The president said that Russia remains open to contact and that work has been done in a trilateral format,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“The accumulated groundwork in terms of the peace process allows us to say that the end is drawing near… But in this context, it is not possible at the moment to speak about any specifics,” Mr Peskov said.

Mr Putin would agree to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside Russia only for the purpose of signing a final peace agreement, Mr Peskov added.

The comments came after a scaled-back Victory Day celebration in Moscow, where officials were on edge over the threat of a Ukrainian drone strike, and at a time when signs of war fatigue are increasingly visible in Russia, weighing on Mr Putin’s approval ratings at home.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the Victory Day military parade

US ceasefire ends

Diplomatic efforts to stop the war have so far stalled, with attention largely diverted by the Iran conflict.

Still, Mr Trump’s ceasefire declaration had briefly raised hopes that US-backed negotiations might regain momentum.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.

Moscow has repeatedly said Ukraine must withdraw from the parts of the eastern Donbas region it still holds before any peace agreement can be reached.

Kyiv has flatly rejected that condition.

Ukraine said Russia brought the three-day ceasefire to an end by launching more than 200 attack drones, damaging energy infrastructure and apartment buildings and killing at least one person.

“The humanitarian ceasefire is over. The special military operation is continuing,” the Kremlin’s Mr Peskov said, using Moscow’s term for its offensive.

Russia’s military said Ukraine had also resumed retaliatory attacks on Russian territory, adding that air defence units destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones after the ceasefire lapsed.

Mr Trump announced the pause on Friday, just hours before Mr Putin oversaw the reduced Victory Day parade in Red Square.

AFP journalists in Kyiv heard air raid sirens and explosions ring across the Ukrainian capital during the assault.

“Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days. Overnight, more than 200 attack drones were launched against Ukraine,” Mr Zelensky said.

Officials in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region ordered the partial evacuation of families with children from parts of the frontline city of Nikopol.

“Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire,” Mr Zelensky added.

The Kremlin, however, said the burden was on Kyiv to yield.

Mr Zelensky had said yesterday that combat with Russia continued despite the truce, accusing Moscow of having no genuine interest in ending the war.

Russia, for its part, accused Ukraine of carrying out drone attacks on its positions during the ceasefire.