Putin says conflict with Ukraine "coming to an end"

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that he thinks the Ukraine crisis is "coming to an end."

Meeting media in Moscow, Putin said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was initiated by Western elites, who used Ukraine as a tool to achieve their geopolitical goals.

Western politicians have been deceiving everyone since they made the promise that NATO would not expand eastward, the president said, adding that all the factors collectively led to the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin disclosed that European countries have begun to seek engagement with Russia, and they understand that escalating the conflict will cost them dearly.

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is the top choice for negotiations between the EU and Russia in the eyes of the Russian side, said Putin. Asked whether he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin said he would neither initiate such a meeting nor refuse it.

The Russian president said he was open to meeting with Zelensky in Moscow or in a third country, provided the talks are aimed at ultimately signing an agreement. While the United States does indeed wish to promote a resolution to the conflict, Putin said, this remains first and foremost a matter between Russia and Ukraine.

Even before U.S. President Donald Trump put forward his initiative, Russia had already proposed to Ukraine an exchange of 500 captives, he said.

However, Russia has yet to receive a response from Ukraine regarding the proposal, Putin added.

Putin says conflict with Ukraine "coming to an end"

A photography enthusiast in Datong City, north China's Shanxi Province has recently captured the growth process of grey heron chicks in a local river.

In the released footage, four baby herons in the nest, just after hatching, were covered in fine, soft down feathers and huddled closely together.

The parent grey heron never left the nest, staying alert and constantly scanning the surroundings, attentively protecting the young as they grew.

As the chicks gradually grew, they shed their down and developed their signature slate-gray plumage. Their bodies became increasingly slender and upright, and their distinctive black crest gradually took shape.

The grey heron's breeding season runs from March to May each year. Each clutch consists of three to five eggs, which are incubated by both parents in turns for over 20 days.

In the early stages after hatching, the chicks cannot stand or forage on their own, so they rely on their parents for care.

Chinese photographer records development of grey heron chicks