Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday hinted that the Ukraine war could soon end. Speaking to reporters after marking Russia's Victory Day parade, Putin said: "I think that the ‌matter is coming to an end."

The comment was made in response to a question about whether Western help to Ukraine went too far.

The Russian leader said: "They started ratcheting up the confrontation with Russia, which continues to this day. I think it is heading to an end, but it's still a serious matter."

Ceasefire is another hopeful sign
Putin's remarks come as Kyiv and Moscow observe a three-day ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine this weekend.

The truce was announced on Friday by U.S. President Donald Trump after negotiations brokered by Washington.

European Council President Antonio Costa on Thursday said the European Union was prepared to hold separate talks with Russia and Ukraine “when the right moment comes."

During his news conference, Putin was asked to name his preferred EU negotiator for those talks. He named former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

Schröder is one of Putin’s closest Western allies and a longtime personal friend. But he has faced heavy criticism at home for those ties, which included lucrative board positions at Russian state-linked energy firms.

Putin also accused the EU of seeking to escalate the conflict, warning Brussels that "this game could prove costly."

Ukraine continues to receive massive support from Europe, particularly equipment and technology.

What else did Putin say?
As part of this weekend's US-led peace deal, both sides agreed to a large prisoner swap, but Putin said Moscow had not heard from Ukraine on the matter.

"We are counting on the Ukrainian side to respond to the proposal made by the President of the United States. Unfortunately, we still have not received any proposals so far," he told reporters.

Putin said he was ready for direct peace talks with ‌Ukrainian President ​Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only after ⁠a ​lasting ​peace ​deal was agreed.

The Russian president went on to discuss the Iran war, saying he hoped it would end as soon as possible, but if ⁠it ​did not ​then everyone ‌would lose ​out.

Russia's Victory Day commemorates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II.

Saturday's parade was scaled down, with mostly leaders of Russia's close allies in attendance and no military hardware on display for the first time in nearly two decades.