President Putin sent two messages to Ukraine and Armenia.
As part of the Victory Day celebrations, President Putin met with the media, clarifying Moscow's firm stance on the actions from Kyiv, and delivering a frank message about the future of relations with Armenia.
According to RIA Novosti, referring to the red line with Ukraine, President Putin said that military officials would report directly to him on whether there were any provocations from the Kiev authorities during the celebrations. Commenting on the Russian Defense Ministry's statement regarding the inevitable response to sabotage attempts, Putin affirmed that the message was extremely clear.
"That message is all too familiar: In the event of any attempt to disrupt our commemorative events, we will be forced to launch large-scale missile attacks on the center of Kyiv. Is there anything unclear here?" - the Russian leader emphasized.
In addition to President Putin's statement, Moscow did not stop at mere warnings but also officially sent a diplomatic note through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Russia also held discussions on the potential consequences of these provocative actions with partners such as China, India, and the United States.
According to President Putin, Moscow immediately agreed to US President Donald Trump's proposal to extend the ceasefire until May 11 and conduct a prisoner exchange. On May 5, a list of 500 servicemen from the Ukrainian Armed Forces was sent to Kyiv.
"Their initial reaction was that they needed to consider it more carefully, maybe not 500 but 200 people. But then they completely disappeared and declared they were not ready for this exchange. They didn't want to," the Russian leader said. Currently, there have been no new proposals from Kyiv on this issue.
At the same time, foreign leaders arrived for the parade unaware of the escalating situation. Nevertheless, they showed courage and were present, despite earlier threats from Volodymyr Zelensky.
Regarding the possibility of meeting with the head of the Ukrainian government, the Russian leader once again affirmed that he would not refuse. "If someone proposes it, please feel free to do so. Anyone who wants to meet should come to Moscow; we will welcome them." However, according to President Putin, organizing such a meeting would only serve as a way to end the conflict, not to conduct negotiations. At the same time, he stated that the conflict...""It's coming to an end."
Another noteworthy point in Putin's statement was his view on Armenia's plans to join the European Union (EU). According to Putin, this topic requires careful consideration, because it was after Kyiv expressed similar intentions that the current conflict erupted. "All of this subsequently led to the coup, the events in Crimea, the position of the southeastern region of Ukraine, and the hostilities," President Putin reiterated.
He emphasized that Armenia should not delay its accession to the EU or the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). "For Armenian citizens and for us, as its main economic partner, making a decision as soon as possible would be the right step. For example, holding a referendum," Putin said.
On the Russian side, President Putin said that a conclusion would be reached soon and that they might follow a certain path.""Divorce in a civilized and mutually beneficial way." Proposing to discuss this topic at the upcoming EAEU summit, the Russian leader reminded that Yerevan currently receives enormous strategic benefits within the framework of the union: from agriculture, processing industries, migration to preferential tariffs.