Budanov announced progress in negotiations with Russia
Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, said that Ukraine is moving toward a possible agreement with Russia. According to him, some progress has already been made, and a resolution to the war may not take long.
He made these remarks in an interview with Bloomberg.
Although negotiations to end the war have yielded few public results, Budanov expressed optimism that talks are moving toward a deal. He stated that, in his opinion, Russia also wants to end the war.
“They all understand that the war must end. That is why they are negotiating. I don’t think it will take long,” Budanov said.
He acknowledged that so far both sides have held “maximalist” positions in the U.S.-mediated talks, but expressed confidence that they will move closer together in search of a compromise.
Russia has a clear incentive to reach an agreement, Budanov noted. “Unlike us, they are spending their own money. These are enormous sums—already in the trillions,” he said.
At the same time, he declined to elaborate on what a possible compromise regarding territory—the most difficult issue in the negotiations—might look like.
“A final decision has not yet been made,” he said. “But, in principle, everyone now clearly understands the limits of what is acceptable. This is huge progress.”
According to Budanov, a key achievement of the peace talks has been the involvement of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration as a mediator. He said that Ukraine expects the White House’s top envoys to the talks, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to lead the U.S. delegation visiting Kyiv, possibly next week, which would be their first visit to the country since the war began.
Commenting on reports that the sharp rise in global oil prices in response to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran has provided Putin with revenue to fund the war against Ukraine, Budanov said that this advantage may be short-lived, as the war in Iran could end soon.
He also acknowledged that Russia has no shortage of troops and noted that, if necessary, it could mobilize a potential reserve of 23.5 million people, far exceeding Ukraine’s capabilities.
“This is an assessment from when I was head of military intelligence, based on a report prepared in late 2025 regarding Russia’s mobilization potential for Putin,” said the head of the Presidential Office. “I read the original. No, there are no problems—and there won’t be any in the coming years.”
When asked what would happen if negotiations with Russia did not lead to an agreement to end the war, Budanov replied: “Do you think there’s some kind of magic wand? There are only two options—war or peace. Not just a continuation of the war, but a continuation of negotiations. If they agree to that—because they might not agree.”
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