President Vladimir Putin declared the Ukraine conflict is nearing its end during a scaled-down Victory Day parade in Moscow this Saturday.
The Russian leader criticized Western nations for fueling the confrontation, claiming their hopes for a total Russian collapse have utterly failed.
This address coincided with the first day of a fragile, three-day ceasefire recently brokered by United States President Donald Trump.
Despite the truce, both Moscow and Kyiv traded sharp accusations of violations, though no major strategic strikes were reported initially.
The ceasefire includes a planned exchange of 2,000 prisoners, yet Putin noted that Russia has not received formal Ukrainian proposals.
Security concerns and recent Ukrainian long-range attacks forced the Kremlin to significantly diminish the traditionally grand military display in Moscow.
For the first time in nearly two decades, the parade featured no heavy military hardware, reflecting the ongoing strain of the war.
Putin utilized the historical memory of the Soviet victory in World War II to frame his current military goals as just.
He asserted that Russian soldiers are successfully confronting an aggressive force backed by the combined military power of the NATO bloc.
The atmosphere in Moscow remained somber as residents faced intermittent internet shutdowns implemented by authorities to prevent potential drone strikes.
International attendance was sparse, with only a few allied leaders present, as global diplomatic attention increasingly shifts toward the conflict in Iran.