Following Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9th, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that the war with Ukraine may be coming to an end. Earlier that day, President Donald Trump stated that Russia and Ukraine have entered a ceasefire from Saturday, May 9th, until Monday, May 11th, 2026, which is intended to pause the conflict. As of May 10th, the ceasefire is currently still intact; however, both sides have reported that attacks are continuing and casualties are being reported, according to PBS Newshour. Despite this, President Putin stated on Russia’s Victory Day that he is ready to hold direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Al Jazeera.

On Saturday, May 9th, President Trump also announced potential prisoner exchanges, and that the ceasefire could be the “beginning of the end” of the war. The Associated Press reported that Trump mentioned how Putin and Zelenskyy agreed, “both readily.” Moreover, during Victory Day celebrations, it was reported that Putin stated that “I think the matter is coming to an end,” indicating a chance at peace in the near future. Putin’s words and Russian actions do not seem to align, however. In his evening address, President Zelenskyy stated that “the Russians are continuing assault activity in sectors key for them,” and noted how “the Russian army is not complying with the ceasefire and is not even really trying to.”

The Russia-Ukraine war dates back to 2014 when Russia’s occupation of the Crimea began. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine occurred on February 24th, 2022, which greatly escalated the previous conflict. The 2022 invasion involved Russia invading Ukraine from the north, south, and east, as well as targeting major cities, including the capital of Kyiv. Over the four years, countless casualties have been reported, including 350,000 Russian soldiers, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, and over 150,000 Ukrainian civilians. This conflict has resulted in the failure of multiple ceasefires and peace attempts, as seen with the current U.S.-led ceasefire. A major factor in this war is the threat posed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to Russia, as the organization continues to provide support to Ukraine, in turn increasing tensions between NATO, Russia, and Ukraine.

President Trump has been making formal efforts to approach peace between Russia and Ukraine, and has attempted to host trilateral meetings between the presidents, which were denied. The current ceasefire and President Putin’s words indicating that an end is in sight offer hope for the future, yet we continue to see ceasefires being broken and violence continuing. Russia and President Putin need to be more open to discussing a full peace negotiation, rather than stalling or denying efforts. Currently, President Putin is open to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder leading peace talks. However, after four years of conflict, he should be receptive to more alternatives, like allowing the U.S., which has made many efforts, to lead peace talks. The conflict has been detrimental to both Russia’s and Ukraine’s economies, caused thousands of casualties on both sides, worsened sanctions on Russia, and has left parts of Ukraine in ruin. It has long been time for a concrete peace deal or a ceasefire that remains unbroken. At this point, President Putin must become more open to other nations leading negotiations, and both nations should begin to seriously fulfill the requirements of future ceasefires to avoid further damage and lives lost. 

Overall, the conflict has caused irreversible damage to both Ukraine and Russia and has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, while also affecting the greater international community. The end of this war would not only be crucial to introducing peace between Russia and Ukraine, but also within the surrounding regions, organizations, and nations that have put their efforts and resources toward a peaceful Russia-Ukraine relationship. Moreover, despite the past and current ceasefire failures, President Putin’s statement regarding a potential end of war does provide a glimpse of hope for all innocent Russians and Ukrainians impacted by this war. As the conflict continues to unfold, we can only hope that these words will be honored by both sides.