Following the talks in Geneva, Russia proposed a meeting with Budanov in Moscow
Following the talks in Geneva, the Russian side proposed that the Ukrainian delegation continue the dialogue in Moscow. According to The New York Times, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, may have been among the potential participants in such a meeting.
The publication speculates that a trip to the Russian capital could have included a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The report noted that earlier this year, following the conclusion of another round of peace talks, the Russian side unexpectedly proposed that the Ukrainian delegation continue the meetings in Moscow. The NYT speculated that if the trip had taken place, the Ukrainians “might have met with Putin.”
For Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, who led the Ukrainian delegation at the Geneva talks, this proposal presented a “difficult choice,” as the aggressor country had previously issued a warrant for his arrest, the report stated.
“I am ready to take any step that will help end the war, provided the conditions are acceptable to Ukraine,” he said in an interview last weekend.
Ultimately, the Ukrainian delegation’s trip to Moscow—which Budanov had mentioned and which had not previously been publicly known—never took place. Shortly thereafter, the negotiation process reached an impasse, the NYT added.
On February 18, another round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the U.S., and the aggressor country, Russia, concluded in Geneva, Switzerland. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the negotiations were difficult and that progress had been made only on military issues. In particular, the parties resolved the issue of monitoring the ceasefire, which will take place with U.S. participation.
This was reported in an article published on Friday, September 4.
Representatives of the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate were served with notices of suspicion in connection with the shooting in Kyiv.
Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, stated that on August 23, he was allegedly abducted by SBU officers, who subjected him to physical and psychological pressure.
