Russian President Vladimir Putin says the war in Ukraine is “coming to an end” and discusses the possibility of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Multiple outlets report that Putin makes the claim after a major public event, including statements tied to May 9 commemorations. He also refers to Zelensky by name, a rare step, and suggests that a meeting could occur either in Moscow or in a neutral third country. According to the reports, Putin links any such meeting to agreement on a lasting peace deal, indicating that a neutral-country meeting would be tied to signing a final arrangement rather than interim discussions. One outlet says Putin frames the prospect of an end to the conflict alongside reference to a US-brokered three-day ceasefire, while others focus on the conditional nature of the proposed meeting. The statements are accompanied by repeated Russian claims about the war’s background, as described by one outlet, but the common elements across sources are Putin’s claim that the conflict is nearing its end and his offer—subject to securing a long-term agreement—to meet Zelensky to help finalize it.