Russia Says War May End Soon

May 10, 2026, 19:03
EuropePolitics

Introduction

President Vladimir Putin says the war in Ukraine may stop soon. He said this during a holiday in Moscow.

Main Body

Russia had a parade on May 9. This time, they did not show big tanks or missiles. Putin said the war is ending, but he believes Russia will win. Russia and Ukraine stopped fighting for three days. They traded 1,000 prisoners. President Donald Trump helped with this plan. Putin says he can meet President Zelenskyy in another country if they have a peace plan first. Russia wants Gerhard Schröder to help with peace in Europe. He is a former leader of Germany. Some German leaders do not like this idea because he is a friend of Putin. Other people in Europe are angry and fighting in the streets.

Conclusion

The peace is very weak. Putin says the war will end, but he still wants to keep some land in Ukraine.

Learning

🧩 The "People & Actions" Connection

Look at how we describe leaders and what they do. In English, we use simple patterns to show a person →\rightarrow their job →\rightarrow their action.

1. Who are they?

  • Vladimir Putin →\rightarrow President
  • Gerhard Schröder →\rightarrow Former leader

2. What are they doing? (The 'Action' Words) Notice these three types of movements in the text:

  • Saying things: says, believes
  • Doing things: stopped, traded, helped
  • Wanting things: wants to keep

3. Quick Tip for A2 Learners To talk about the past, we often just add -ed to the end of the word:

  • Stop →\rightarrow Stopped
  • Trade →\rightarrow Traded
  • Help →\rightarrow Helped

Key Phrase to Steal:

"...he is a friend of Putin."

Use this pattern for anyone: [Person A] is a friend of [Person B].

Vocabulary Learning

parade
A public display of people or vehicles marching or moving in a row.
Example:The city held a parade to celebrate the holiday.
missiles
Long-range weapons that are launched and guided to a target.
Example:The soldiers watched the missiles fly over the battlefield.
prisoners
People who are kept in custody, usually for a crime.
Example:The army released 1,000 prisoners after the ceasefire.
peace
The state of being free from war or conflict.
Example:They signed a peace agreement to end the fighting.
leader
A person who guides or manages a group or country.
Example:The leader of the country announced a new plan.
former
Having been something in the past but not now.
Example:He is a former president who now works as a teacher.
angry
Feeling strong displeasure or annoyance.
Example:The people in the streets were angry about the new law.
weak
Not strong or powerful; fragile.
Example:The peace treaty was very weak and could be broken easily.