Trending Now - Putin Suggests Ukraine War Nearing Conclusion, Proposes Mediator

WHO:

DW.com - Gerhard Schröder, former German chancellor, is 82 years old.

France 24 - Michael Roth, former SPD lawmaker, stated, "[A mediator] cannot be Putin's buddy," emphasizing the need for a mediator accepted by Ukraine.

DW.com - Putin named Gerhard Schröder as his preferred EU negotiator for peace talks.

France 24 - Gerhard Schröder has faced heavy criticism for his close ties to Russia and has never publicly condemned the invasion of Ukraine.

France 24 - Gerhard Schröder, former German chancellor, has been criticized for never publicly condemning the invasion of Ukraine, which has cost him several privileges normally granted to former chancellors.

DW.com - Gerhard Schröder's office refused to comment on Putin's suggestion for him to act as a mediator in peace talks.

DW.com - Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, has faced criticism for his close ties to Russia and has not publicly condemned the invasion of Ukraine.

France 24 - Michael Roth, former SPD lawmaker, stated, "[A mediator] cannot be Putin's buddy," emphasizing the need for a mediator accepted by Ukraine.

DW.com - Putin stated he would "personally" prefer Gerhard Schröder as a mediator for peace talks.

France 24 - Michael Roth, a former SPD lawmaker, emphasized that "[a mediator] cannot be Putin's buddy."

DW.com - European Council President Antonio Costa stated that the European Union is prepared to hold separate talks with Russia and Ukraine “when the right moment comes.”

France 24 - Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, is 82 years old.

DW.com - Russian President Vladimir Putin made remarks about the Ukraine war.

DW.com - US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire.

France 24 - Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was named by Putin as a preferred mediator.

DW.com - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was mentioned in the context of potential peace talks.

WHAT:

DW.com - Putin stated, "I think that the matter is coming to an end," regarding the Ukraine war.

DW.com - Putin expressed that he is counting on the Ukrainian side to respond to a proposal made by Trump regarding a large prisoner swap, stating, "Unfortunately, we still have not received any proposals so far."

ABC News - Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian attacks during the ceasefire resulted in at least two deaths and seven injuries in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

DW.com - Putin stated, "I think that the matter is coming to an end," regarding the Ukraine war.

DW.com - Putin expressed that Moscow had not received a response from Ukraine regarding a proposed prisoner swap, stating, "Unfortunately, we still have not received any proposals so far."

France 24 - A source indicated that a real test of Moscow's intentions would be to extend the current three-day truce.

ABC News - Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian attacks during the ceasefire resulted in at least two deaths and seven injuries in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

ABC News - Russia's Defense Ministry accused Kyiv of committing over 1,000 ceasefire violations.

ABC News - Zelenskyy stated that the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side is being prepared.

ABC News - Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian attacks during the ceasefire resulted in at least two deaths and seven injuries in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

ABC News - Russia's Defense Ministry accused Kyiv of committing over 1,000 ceasefire violations.

DW.com - Putin expressed that he thinks the Ukraine war is "heading toward an end."

France 24 - Some German politicians from Schröder's SPD party believe his ties to Russia make him unsuitable for any mediator role.

France 24 - Some German politicians from Schröder's own SPD party believe his ties to Russia make him unsuitable for any mediator role.

DW.com - Putin suggested that the Ukraine war is "coming to an end."

DW.com - A three-day ceasefire was announced, observed by both Kyiv and Moscow.

France 24 - German officials expressed skepticism about Putin's proposal for Schröder as a mediator.

DW.com - Putin stated that Moscow had not received a response from Ukraine regarding a proposed prisoner swap.

DW.com - Putin expressed readiness for direct peace talks with Zelenskyy after a lasting peace deal is agreed.

WHERE:

DW.com - The remarks were made during a news conference following Russia's Victory Day parade.

France 24 - The skepticism from German officials was expressed in Berlin.

WHEN:

DW.com - The three-day ceasefire was announced on a Friday.

France 24 - Putin made his comments on a Saturday.

WHY:

France 24 - German officials viewed Putin's proposal as part of "a series of bogus offers" from Russia, indicating skepticism about Moscow's intentions.

DW.com - Anonymous German government officials described Putin's suggestion of Schröder as a mediator as "not credible" due to Moscow's unchanged conditions for ending the war.

France 24 - German officials viewed Putin's proposal as part of "a series of bogus offers" from Russia, indicating skepticism about Moscow's intentions.

DW.com - Anonymous German government officials described Putin's suggestion of Schröder as a mediator as "not credible" due to Moscow's unchanged conditions for ending the war.

DW.com - Anonymous German government officials stated that Putin's suggestion of Schröder as a mediator was "not credible" as Moscow had not altered its conditions for ending the war.

France 24 - Michael Roth, a former SPD lawmaker, stated that "[a mediator] cannot be Putin's buddy," emphasizing that any mediator must be accepted by Ukraine.

DW.com - Putin's comments were in response to Western support for Ukraine, which he claimed has escalated confrontation with Russia.

France 24 - German officials viewed Putin's proposal as part of "a series of bogus offers" from Russia.

HOW:

DW.com - The ceasefire was announced by Trump and was intended to mark Victory Day, the Russian celebration of the defeat of Nazi Germany.

ABC News - The ceasefire was announced by Trump and was intended to mark Victory Day, the Russian celebration of the defeat of Nazi Germany.

DW.com - Putin's remarks were made during a news conference following Russia's Victory Day parade.

DW.com - Putin named Schröder as his preferred EU negotiator during a news conference.

DW.com - The ceasefire was brokered by Washington.

France 24 - Putin named Schröder as a preferred mediator during a news conference.

(UPDATED May 11, 2026 23:16 UTC)

In a recent statement, Putin declared that he believes "the matter is coming to an end" regarding the Ukraine war, while also expressing hope that Ukraine will respond to a proposal made by Trump for a large prisoner swap. However, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian attacks during the ceasefire led to at least two deaths and seven injuries in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the ceasefire, which was announced by Trump to coincide with Victory Day. German officials have expressed skepticism about Putin's intentions, with some describing his suggestion of Gerhard Schröder as a mediator as "not credible" due to Moscow's unchanged conditions for ending the conflict.

(UPDATED May 11, 2026 19:27 UTC)

In a significant development, President Putin has named Gerhard Schröder as his preferred EU negotiator for peace talks, despite Schröder facing heavy criticism for his close ties to Russia and his failure to publicly condemn the invasion of Ukraine. Putin remarked that he believes "the matter is coming to an end" regarding the Ukraine war, while also noting that Moscow has not yet received a response from Ukraine about a proposed prisoner swap, stating, "Unfortunately, we still have not received any proposals so far." German officials have expressed skepticism about Moscow's intentions, viewing Putin's proposal as part of "a series of bogus offers," and this comes in the context of a ceasefire announced by Trump, which was intended to mark Victory Day.

(UPDATED May 11, 2026 15:56 UTC)

Ukrainian authorities have reported that Russian attacks during the ceasefire led to at least two deaths and seven injuries in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions, while Russia's Defense Ministry accused Kyiv of committing over 1,000 ceasefire violations. In the midst of these tensions, President Trump announced the ceasefire to coincide with Victory Day, the Russian celebration of the defeat of Nazi Germany, and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy mentioned that preparations are underway for an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. Meanwhile, Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, has faced criticism for not publicly condemning the invasion of Ukraine, and his office has declined to comment on Putin's suggestion for him to mediate peace talks.

(UPDATED May 11, 2026 11:54 UTC)

Ukrainian authorities have reported that Russian attacks during a ceasefire, which was announced by Trump to coincide with Victory Day, resulted in at least two deaths and seven injuries in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry has accused Kyiv of committing over 1,000 ceasefire violations, while anonymous German government officials have dismissed Putin's suggestion of Gerhard Schröder as a mediator as "not credible" due to Moscow's unchanged conditions for ending the war. Michael Roth, a former SPD lawmaker, emphasized that "[a mediator] cannot be Putin's buddy," highlighting the need for a mediator accepted by Ukraine.

(UPDATED May 11, 2026 10:06 UTC)

President Trump has stated that he would "personally" prefer Gerhard Schröder as a mediator for peace talks regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, although some German politicians from Schröder's SPD party argue that his ties to Russia make him unsuitable for this role. Meanwhile, anonymous German government officials have described Putin's suggestion of Schröder as a mediator as "not credible," pointing out that Moscow has not changed its conditions for ending the war. These comments came during a news conference following Russia's Victory Day parade, where Putin expressed his belief that the Ukraine war is "heading toward an end."

(UPDATED May 11, 2026 08:03 UTC)

European Council President Antonio Costa announced that the European Union is ready to engage in separate discussions with Russia and Ukraine when the timing is right. Meanwhile, President Putin has expressed his hope for a response from Ukraine regarding a prisoner swap proposal made by Trump, noting that no proposals have been received yet. In the midst of this, some members of Schröder's own SPD party argue that his close ties to Russia disqualify him from serving as a mediator, with former lawmaker Michael Roth stating that a mediator cannot be seen as "Putin's buddy."

(UPDATED May 11, 2026 06:14 UTC)

In a significant development, President Trump announced a three-day ceasefire in the ongoing Ukraine war, which was brokered by Washington and observed by both Kyiv and Moscow. During a news conference following Russia's Victory Day parade, President Putin suggested that the conflict is "coming to an end" and expressed readiness for direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy after a lasting peace deal is agreed, while also naming former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a preferred mediator. However, German officials in Berlin expressed skepticism about Putin's proposal, viewing it as part of "a series of bogus offers" from Russia, particularly in light of the lack of response from Ukraine regarding a proposed prisoner swap.