Latvian minister quits and Putin hints at war's end
A look back at the political fallout around 11 May 2026, after a Latvian resignation over drone incursions and Vladimir Putin's remarks on Victory Day.
What did the political picture look like on 11 May 2026? Two developments from the preceding days framed it: a ministerial resignation in Riga and an unexpected signal from Moscow about the war.
On 10 May 2026, Andris Sprūds resigned as Latvian defence minister. The move followed the violation of Latvian airspace by Ukrainian drones during an attack on Russia. The incident was listed among violations of non-combatant airspace during the Russo-Ukrainian war.
A day earlier, on 9 May 2026, Russian president Vladimir Putin said he thought the war might come to an end soon. He spoke after the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, where he had previously vowed victory over Ukraine. The two statements, made around the same event, pointed in different directions.
The negotiating positions
The remark touched on a long-running diplomatic track. Several rounds of peace talks have been held since Russia's invasion in February 2022, following the Minsk agreements of the War in Donbas period (2014–2022).
As later described, Putin seeks recognition of all occupied land as Russian, the handing over of regions Russia claims but does not fully occupy, guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, limits on Ukraine's military and the lifting of sanctions. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks a ceasefire, full withdrawal of Russian troops, the return of prisoners and kidnapped Ukrainian children, prosecution of Russian leaders for war crimes, and security guarantees against further aggression.
The gap between those positions was the backdrop to Putin's comment. The Latvian resignation, meanwhile, showed that the war's effects on airspace were having political consequences beyond Ukraine's borders.
