The Daily Populous Saturday May 30th, 2026 morning edition
Authored by united24media.com and submitted by UNITED24Media

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has claimed that the war is nearing its conclusion, citing his assessment of current operations on the front lines.

Speaking on the status of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin stated that he has arrived at this outlook by analyzing the situation on the battlefield, where he alleges that Russian forces are advancing in every direction, according to Ukrainska Pravda on May 29.

We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field. DONATE NOW

Despite these claims, Putin refused to provide any specific timeline for when the hostilities might end, emphasizing the unpredictability of the ongoing fighting. He maintained that while there are ongoing contacts regarding the situation in Ukraine, no formal negotiations are currently taking place.

Addressing domestic and international concerns, the Russian president highlighted the need to bolster Russia’s air defense systems. He also directed sharp criticism toward Western media outlets, describing them as "a disgrace and a nightmare" for allegedly misleading their citizens and ignoring what he termed "the tragedy in Starobilsk ." He characterized these outlets as "means of mass deception."

Putin further argued that the policies of the European Union were the primary driver of the events that have unfolded in Ukraine. He dismissed recent warnings from European officials regarding a potential future war between Russia and European nations as "delirium."

The leader of the Kremlin reiterated his previous stance, expressed on May 9, regarding a potential meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Putin stated he remains open to such a meeting in a third country, but only for the express purpose of signing final agreements to bring the war to an end.

During the same remarks, Vladimir Putin responded to statements from Lithuanian officials, specifically citing the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, Kestutis Budris, regarding NATO’s potential to neutralize Russian air defense assets in the Kaliningrad region. Putin dismissed these threats, asserting that the Russian Federation possesses all the necessary military capabilities to completely destroy any party that attempts to take such actions.

During a press conference in Moscow on May 9, 2026, Putin suggested that Armenia should hold a referendum to determine its geopolitical future regarding integration with the European Union.

He drew direct parallels to the events preceding Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, claiming that the aggression resulted from Kyiv’s attempts to align itself with the EU. Putin stated that such a public vote would allow Moscow to draw conclusions and proceed with a separation from Armenia.

Discuss this article: PERPLEXITY CHATGPT CLAUDE GEMINI

voronaam on May 29th, 2026 at 22:09 UTC »

I am surprised nobody in the thread identified the real reason for this statement.

It is intended for potential recruits to help drive the recruitment efforts.

There is a sign-up bonus to join the military now and the contract is essentially for up to "end of SMO". Imagine hearing end of war is super close as someone who is on the fence of signing up for the military contract inside russia - this sounds like a great chance to sign up, get the bonus, go through the month-long training and go home without ever getting in any real danger.

It is all lies, obviously. But this particular lie has a solid reason for it to exist - it is to drive up the recruitment numbers.

ImaginationToForm2 on May 29th, 2026 at 19:37 UTC »

Remember when Putin said he wasn't invading Ukraine, but then he did? I wouldn't trust Putin as far as I could throw him.

Distinct-Ice-700 on May 29th, 2026 at 19:19 UTC »

Buddy is not in a good position…

When you have to shut down internet something is wrong…