Budanov: As Russia demands everything, Ukraine will keep fighting
Ukraine's presidential administration head Kyrylo Budanov told LETA in an interview that Russia shows no genuine intent to end the war and keeps making unrealistic ultimatum-style demands. He said Ukraine will continue fighting until Moscow changes its stance.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's presidential administration and former chief of the Defence Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, expressed skepticism about the prospects for peace in the near term during an interview with the LETA agency at a Riga conference. According to Budanov, while Ukraine's president has repeatedly signaled willingness to meet and end the war, Russia has shown no real actions suggesting a genuine desire to stop fighting. He described Russia's ultimatum-style demands as manipulation, since Moscow is well aware they will never be accepted.
Ukraine's position unchanged
Budanov explained that Ukraine is ready to meet under reasonable terms understood by all sides, but if Russia keeps demanding everything while offering nothing in return, Ukraine will continue fighting. He also ruled out any formal recognition of Ukrainian territories as conquered by Russia, saying no one will redraw the world's political map.
Negotiation process and other issues
Budanov acknowledged that security services from various countries are typically involved in peace negotiation processes, but declined to comment specifically on claims about the role of the US Central Intelligence Agency. Regarding Ukraine's ballistic missile program, he declined to provide details, calling it classified information, though he added that Russian forces are already feeling the effects of these weapons. Budanov also said he does not support holding elections in Ukraine during wartime and noted that no one has so far raised this as a precondition for negotiations.
Advice for the Baltic states
On regional security, Budanov stressed that geographic proximity to Russia always creates tension, so the Baltic states need strong national armed forces to deter potential aggression. He also thanked Latvia for its support to Ukraine throughout the war, saying this contribution will not be forgotten.
