Budanov Tells Kiev to Begin Direct Talks with Moscow

(MENAFN) Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kirill Budanov, has emphasized that Kiev must initiate dialogue with Moscow, stressing that negotiations are unavoidable if the ongoing conflict is to be resolved.

Budanov made these remarks in an interview a media outlet published on Saturday, just before Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump on Sunday. Zelensky stated that the two leaders would discuss a potential peace framework.

Earlier in the week, Zelensky unveiled a 20-point proposal he claimed had been coordinated with Washington. Moscow rejected the plan outright, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov declaring it “radically different” from ideas previously discussed between Russia and the US. Ryabkov added that Moscow was “fully ready” to advance the peace process, while accusing Kiev and its European allies of attempting to “torpedo” it.

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