Russian President Vladimir Putin said this Saturday that he believes his country's conflict with Ukraine is coming to an end.

“I think the issue is coming to an end,” he stated, referring to the “special military operation” in Ukraine, while condemning Western support for the Kyiv government.

Putin spoke to journalists after a smaller military parade in Moscow's Red Square to commemorate the Soviet victory in World War II.

Russia's annual celebration lacked the usual display of tanks and missiles due to security concerns as authorities feared Ukraine could attack Red Square with drones.

A last-minute ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by US President Donald Trump, reduced the danger of any attack and the parade passed without incident.

Putin's comments came just hours after he used his Victory Day speech to justify war.

In that speech, the president maintained that Russia was fighting a “just” war and called Ukraine as an “aggressive force” that was being “armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc.”

Later, when asked at a press conference about Western aid to Ukraine, Putin said: “They (the West) promised help and then "go began to stir a confrontation with Russia that continues to today. I think the issue is coming to an end, but it's a serious matter."

Russian forces seized Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014, then launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin assured that he would only meet Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, once a durable peace treaty was agreed upon.

“A meeting in a third country is possible, although only once final agreements on a peace treaty with u have been reached "a long term historical perspective, to participate in this event and sign (the agreement). But it must be a final step," he continued.

The Russian president said that he had heard that Zelensky was willing to hold a personal meeting, but qualified it: “This is not the first time we heard such statements.”

Putin said that he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be former Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

The former-chancellor is a long-time friend of Putin, and is controversial for his work for Russian state energy companies.

As part of the U.S.-led ceasefire over the weekend, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each country.

However, Putin noted that Russia had not yet received news from Ukraine about any exchanges.

For the first time in almost two decades, there was no military equipment at the Red Square parade, which the Kremlin usually displays to project Russian military power on the international stage.

There were also many fewer journalists at the event, and many international media were not allowed access.

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