Asked about EU plans for talks to end the four-year conflict, the Russian president said former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder would be his preferred negotiator.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DWzcRussia and Ukraine agreed to a three-day ceasefire this weekendImage: Alexander Nemenov/REUTERSAdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday hinted that the Ukraine war could soon end.
Speaking to reporters after marking Russia's Victory Day parade, Putin said: "I think that the matter is coming to an end."
The comment was made in response to a question about whether Western help to Ukraine went too far.
The Russian leader said: "They started ratcheting up the confrontation with Russia, which continues to this day. I think it is heading to an end, but it's still a serious matter."
Russia marks Victory Day as the Ukraine war drags onTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Putin's remarks come as Kyiv and Moscow observe a three-day ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine this weekend.
The truce was announced on Friday by US President Donald Trump after negotiations brokered by Washington.
European Council President Antonio Costa on Thursday said the EU was prepared to hold separate talks with Russia and Ukraine “when the right moment comes."
During his conversation with reporters, Putin was asked to name his preferred EU negotiator for those talks. He named former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
Schröder is one of Putin’s closest Western allies and a longtime personal friend. But he has faced heavy criticism at home for those ties, which included lucrative board positions at Russian state-linked energy firms.
Investigating claims Putin's grip on power is slippingTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
As part of this weekend's US-led peace deal, both sides agreed to a large prisoner swap, but Putin said Moscow had not received any proposals from Ukraine on the matter.
"We are counting on the Ukrainian side to respond to the proposal made by the President of the United States. Unfortunately, we still have not received any proposals so far," he told reporters.
Putin said he would only meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once a lasting peace deal was agreed.
The Russian president went on to discuss the Iran war, saying he hoped it would end as soon as possible, but if it did not then everyone would lose out.
Russia's Victory Day commemorates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II.
