Russian President Vladimir Putin used his April 29 call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a possible ceasefire around Russia's May 9 Victory Day commemorations, alongside talks on Ukraine, Iran and possible future economic and energy cooperation, TASS reported on April 29, citing Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov. The call came as Moscow confirmed it would scale back this year's Victory Day parade by removing heavy military equipment because of the threat from Ukrainian strikes.

The Kremlin is seeking to preserve the optics of control and normalcy in Moscow as Ukrainian strike capabilities increasingly threaten the May 9 parade and related events. Unlike last year's 80th anniversary parade, which drew a larger number of dignitaries and carried greater symbolic weight, this year's event is set to be more limited and will take place under a more acute threat environment.