Russian President Vladimir Putin conducted a late-night press conference at the Kremlin on Saturday, the first of its kind in the country's history.
Putin began by thanking foreign leaders who participated in the events and emphasizing the “intense and meaningful” negotiations that took place. He expressed particular gratitude to the 13 countries that sent troops to take part in the Victory Parade and commended the North Korean military for their “highly professional” actions in the Kursk region, noting their good training and preparation.
The briefing also focused on the outcomes of international meetings held during the Victory Day anniversary celebrations
Putin addressed the ongoing situation in Ukraine, stating that Russia had put forward multiple ceasefire initiatives, all of which had been sabotaged by the Ukrainian side. He claimed that Ukrainian forces violated the Easter truce 5,000 times and that, even after Russia declared a ceasefire, there had been five targeted attacks on the Russian border. Despite this, Putin did not rule out the possibility of extending the ceasefire, contingent upon developments in the coming days.
The Russian president confirmed plans to visit China in September and expressed hopes of eventually restoring relations with European states, based on historical lessons and the views of their peoples.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier described the event as “substantive,” noting that no questions from journalists would be taken during the briefing.
Putin proposed resuming direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul, highlighting Türkiye's key role in facilitating previous Russian-Ukrainian negotiations. Putin also stated that he will speak with Erdogan tomorrow to discuss finding a path to peace with Ukraine.
The Kremlin confirmed that the leadership of Russia's delegation for the Istanbul talks will be announced soon. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the discussions will be held at the appropriate level.
Peskov also confirmed the three-day ceasefire proposed during the Victory Day celebrations has ended, but Moscow has not seen a genuine ceasefire from Kyiv. Russia is now awaiting Ukraine’s response to the Istanbul talks proposal.
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