Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said the war in Ukraine was winding down, slamming Western support for Kyiv, as the first day of a US-brokered ceasefire was marked by mutual accusations of violations. Putin spoke after telling soldiers at the scaled-down parade in Moscow that they were fighting an “aggressive force” in Ukraine, backed by all of NATO and describing his war goals as “just”.

The Russian leader has made the memory of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II a central narrative of his 25-year rule and repeatedly invoked it to justify his Ukraine offensive. Russian authorities typically mark the Victory Day parade with pomp and grandeur. But a spate of Ukrainian long-range attacks in recent weeks prompted the Kremlin to ramp up security measures and downsize this year’s celebrations.

When asked after the parade whether the Western military aid to Ukraine had gone too far, Putin said: “They started ratcheting up the confrontation with Russia, which continues to this day. “I think it (the conflict) is heading to an end, but it’s still a serious matter.” “They spent months waiting for Russia to suffer a crushing defeat, for its statehood to collapse. It didn’t work out.

“And then they got stuck in that groove, and now they can’t get out of it,” Putin said, referring to the Western countries. Putin added he was ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a third country only once all conditions for a potential peace agreement were settled.

“This should be the final point, not the negotiations themselves,” he said.

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