Zelenskyy has ordered the active phase of the war to be brought to a swift conclusion — Budanov
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered that efforts to halt active hostilities and achieve results toward ending the active phase of the war be accelerated as much as possible. This was stated by Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate.
He made these remarks during a speech at the “Security Architecture” forum, as reported by “Suspilne.”
According to Budanov, there are already tangible signs that the conditions for a possible cessation of active hostilities are taking shape. He noted that the country’s leadership has set the goal of trying to end the active phase of the war before the onset of winter.
Ending hostilities before winter
According to Budanov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has tasked his team with finding ways to end hostilities as soon as possible before this winter. The Head of the Presidential Office himself called this task “correct, timely, and well-thought-out” and assured that he would do everything possible to implement it.
He expressed his conviction that Ukraine’s current capabilities and resources are entirely “sufficient to attempt to achieve this and actually make it happen.”
"If Russia refuses in the end—and that could happen, don’t forget—well, that could happen too. However, there are now real signs that the groundwork for ending hostilities already exists," Budanov said.
Negotiations with the U.S. and Russia
Separately, Budanov confirmed reports that important foreign visits are planned in the near future: U.S. representatives intend to visit both Ukraine and Russia to discuss security issues. At the same time, he urged not to downplay Ukraine’s role in the process.
"There is a certain pause in the negotiations—it exists at the highest level, but at the technical level, these negotiations have never stopped. The fact that you’ve seen prisoner exchanges and so on only confirms this. I disagree with the assessment that these negotiations have stalled," he explained.
The head of the Presidential Office separately emphasized that he shares the view that Russia is unwilling to reach an agreement, but he believes there is a high chance that Moscow will be forced to agree even against its will:
"Does Russia want peace? I don’t think it wants it very much. But will it be ready to take certain actions in the near future? I think the prospects for that are higher now than ever."
Budanov stated that Russia continues to attempt his assassination even during negotiations.
Ukraine is ready for dialogue with Russia provided Moscow is genuinely committed to serious talks, but such meetings require careful preparation. Any direct contacts between the leaders of the warring states do not occur spontaneously or via ordinary telephone communication.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he is ready to hold a summit with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and the search for an appropriate format is currently underway.
