Budanov stated that an attempt to reach an agreement with Russia had failed
Kirill Budanov, head of the Office of the President, stated that he personally tried to reach an agreement with Russia to halt long-range strikes. According to him, no agreement was reached, and instead, the situation only escalated.
He explained that the Ukrainian side had attempted to negotiate with Russia to halt long-range strikes. Budanov himself also participated in these efforts. “Believe me, we’ve tried. I’ll be frank with you—I personally tried. It’s not working out for now,” said the head of the Office of the President.
According to Budanov, the agreement did not work out. Instead of easing tensions, the situation escalated further. “Since an escalation occurred instead, we must respond with all means at our disposal,” he said. Thus, there is currently no agreement between Ukraine and Russia to cease long-range strikes. Budanov did not specify exactly when or in what format attempts to reach an agreement took place.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to pursue diplomatic channels. On August 27, Budanov announced a possible meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in September. According to him, the negotiation process is currently on hold. However, the Ukrainian side plans to resume and “revive” it. Budanov also stated earlier that he does not expect the war to end soon. He acknowledged that hostilities could continue into the winter.
Against this backdrop, the sides continue to launch strikes against each other’s territories. Russia regularly uses missiles and long-range drones to attack Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Ukraine strikes military and strategic targets on Russian territory. Currently, according to Budanov, attempts to agree even on limiting such strikes have yielded no results. Budanov made these remarks on Friday, August 28, during the “Ukraine Tomorrow” international forum.
Ukraine and Russia may carry out another major prisoner exchange in the near future. The head of the Office of the President, Kirill Budanov, stated that preparations are underway, but he did not specify the exact timing or the number of people planned to be returned.
