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War in Ukraine

Putin Claims Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion Nears End Without Providing Timeline

3 min read
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin. (Source: Getty Images)
Russian leader Vladimir Putin. (Source: Getty Images)

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has claimed that the war is nearing its conclusion, citing his assessment of current operations on the front lines.

Speaking on the status of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin stated that he has arrived at this outlook by analyzing the situation on the battlefield, where he alleges that Russian forces are advancing in every direction, according to Ukrainska Pravda on May 29.

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Despite these claims, Putin refused to provide any specific timeline for when the hostilities might end, emphasizing the unpredictability of the ongoing fighting. He maintained that while there are ongoing contacts regarding the situation in Ukraine, no formal negotiations are currently taking place.

Addressing domestic and international concerns, the Russian president highlighted the need to bolster Russia’s air defense systems. He also directed sharp criticism toward Western media outlets, describing them as "a disgrace and a nightmare" for allegedly misleading their citizens and ignoring what he termed "the tragedy in Starobilsk ." He characterized these outlets as "means of mass deception."

Putin further argued that the policies of the European Union were the primary driver of the events that have unfolded in Ukraine. He dismissed recent warnings from European officials regarding a potential future war between Russia and European nations as "delirium."

The leader of the Kremlin reiterated his previous stance, expressed on May 9, regarding a potential meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Putin stated he remains open to such a meeting in a third country, but only for the express purpose of signing final agreements to bring the war to an end.

During the same remarks, Vladimir Putin responded to statements from Lithuanian officials, specifically citing the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, Kestutis Budris, regarding NATO’s potential to neutralize Russian air defense assets in the Kaliningrad region. Putin dismissed these threats, asserting that the Russian Federation possesses all the necessary military capabilities to completely destroy any party that attempts to take such actions.

During a press conference in Moscow on May 9, 2026, Putin suggested that Armenia should hold a referendum to determine its geopolitical future regarding integration with the European Union.

He drew direct parallels to the events preceding Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, claiming that the aggression resulted from Kyiv’s attempts to align itself with the EU. Putin stated that such a public vote would allow Moscow to draw conclusions and proceed with a separation from Armenia.

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Putin’s mention of a "tragedy in Starobilsk" is yet another instance of cynical manipulation and shifting of blame, as the city of Starobilsk in the Luhansk region has been under Russian occupation since the first days of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The actions of the occupying forces—characterized by destruction, abductions, and repression against the local population—are the actual cause of the tragedy in the region. The Ukrainian side views such statements as an attempt by Moscow to exploit the suffering of people caused by its own aggression to justify war crimes and carry out information-psychological operations aimed at discrediting Ukraine in the eyes of the international community.

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