Latest news with #KirillBudanov
Russia Today
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine needs ceasefire by end of 2025
A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine must be reached by the end of the year, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, said in an interview with Bloomberg published on Friday. He made the remarks as Ukrainian troops steadily lose ground along different sections of the front line, and after the 2024 incursion into Russia's Kursk Region ended in costly failure. The Ukrainian army has also been struggling to bring in new conscripts. Budanov told Bloomberg that 'a ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible and well before the end of this year.' 'Is it realistic to do so? Yes. Is it difficult? No,' he said. 'It takes at least three sides – Ukraine, Russia, and the US. And we will get to this position.' Moscow has rejected the proposal for an immediate and unconditional truce, insisting that Kiev and its Western backers must first agree to several demands, including the withdrawal of troops from Russian territory claimed by Ukraine, an end to Ukraine's mobilization campaign, and a halt to foreign military aid. Russian President Vladimir Putin also accused Ukraine of seeking a pause in the fighting to rearm and regroup its forces. Moscow has also warned that it will not accept the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine, even if they are deployed under the guise of peacekeepers. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this week that the sides are working to arrange a third round of direct talks in Türkiye. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said at a summit in Rome on Thursday that the countries must first complete the prisoner swaps agreed to in Istanbul on June 2.
Russia Today
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev needs ceasefire by the end of 2025 – Ukrainian spy chief
A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine must be reached by the end of the year, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, said in an interview with Bloomberg published on Friday. He made his remarks as Ukrainian troops have been steadily losing ground along different sections of the front line, and after the 2024 incursion into Russia's Kursk Region ended in costly failure. The Ukrainian army has also been struggling to bring in new conscripts. According to Bloomberg, Budanov argued that 'a ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible and well before the end of this year.' 'Is it realistic to do so? Yes. Is it difficult? No,' he told Bloomberg. 'It takes at least three sides – Ukraine, Russia, and the US. And we will get to this position.' Moscow has rejected the proposal for an immediate and unconditional truce, insisting that Kiev and its Western backers must first agree to several demands, including the withdrawal of troops from Russian territory claimed by Ukraine, an end to Ukraine's mobilization campaign, and a halt to foreign military aid. Russian President Vladimir Putin also accused Ukraine of wanting to use any pause in fighting to rearm and regroup its forces. Moscow has further warned that it will not accept the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine, even if they are deployed under the guise of peacekeepers. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this week that the sides are working to arrange a third round of direct talks in Türkiye. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, however, said during a summit in Rome on Thursday that the countries must first complete the prisoner swaps agreed during negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.
Russia Today
07-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Ukraine plagued by ‘palace politics' and purges
Ukraine's leadership is increasingly mired in 'palace politics,' bitter infighting, and purges that threaten to fracture the country from within, The Economist reported on Sunday, citing multiple sources. Much of the turmoil is reportedly linked to Andrey Yermak, the powerful head of Vladimir Zelensky's office, who is seen as actively sidelining other key figures close to the Ukrainian leader. While Russia continues to push back Ukrainian forces along the front line, the deepening political chaos in Kiev could spell even greater danger for Ukraine, the outlet stated. According to The Economist, the internal rift was illustrated by three developments last month: reports of an impending cabinet reshuffle with Yulia Sviridenko tipped as the next prime minister, yet another failed attempt to remove Ukraine's spy chief, Kirill Budanov, and most notably, the corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov. Chernyshov, previously known for his efforts to repatriate Ukrainians from the West, was accused of fraud tied to a housing project he approved while serving as urban development minister. The charges emerged while he was on official business in Europe, leading to what The Economist called the 'absurd image' of Ukraine's minister for repatriating citizens contemplating his own self-exile. Three officials told the magazine that while there was no evidence Yermak ordered the probe, he allowed the case to advance while freezing others, effectively neutralizing Chernyshov. The outlet's sources claimed that Chernyshov's true 'offense' was trying to position himself as an alternative conduit for relations with Washington, potentially undermining Yermak. Chernyshov's fall from grace also reportedly paved the way for Sviridenko, described as Yermak's protégé, to rise further. According to the outlet, Yermak has also on numerous occasions tried to oust Budanov. Sources close to Yermak labeled Budanov an unstable 'revolutionary' intent on building his own political machine, while insiders in the intelligence service portrayed him as one of the few willing to confront Ukraine's leadership with hard truths. However, Budanov has managed to survive through a mix of pressure tactics and political maneuvering, The Economist reported, adding that repeated White House warnings not to fire him also played a major role. While The Economist described Yermak as 'domestically… stronger than ever,' an earlier report by Politico suggested that the US has been 'frustrated' with the official. American officials interviewed by the magazine described Yermak as abrasive, poorly informed about US politics, and prone to lecturing – with some fearing he failed to accurately convey American positions to Kiev.
Russia Today
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev can't turn tide on battlefield
Kiev lacks the ability to push Russian forces back, Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency HUR, has acknowledged, asserting that only negotiations could meaningfully alter the course of the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently remarked that military logic often requires occupying territories while not formally claiming them. He added that historically Russia operated on the principle that 'wherever the foot of the Russian soldier steps is ours,' in the sense of defending national interests. Asked to respond to Putin's comments in an interview this week, Budanov said the Russian president was militarily accurate. 'Wherever they reach will be under their control. Do you think there is anyone who does not realize that? I hope everyone does,' Budanov said, urging Ukrainians to comply with conscription and fulfill their duty by fighting Russia. He said he did not anticipate major changes on the battlefield, where Russian forces continue to make incremental advances. Significant developments, he added, would likely not occur 'at least until peace talks are concluded.' Since the 2014 Western-backed uprising in Kiev, five Ukrainian regions have voted to secede and join Russia, four of them after the escalation in 2022. Moscow has cited Kiev's use of military force in Donbass and its sabotage of a negotiated roadmap for reintegrating the Donbass regions as key triggers for the ongoing hostilities. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky rejected a proposed peace deal in 2022 that would have curtailed Ukraine's NATO aspirations. Instead, he opted to pursue a military solution backed by Western arms donors. Zelensky has maintained that only the full restoration of all territories claimed by Kiev would be acceptable to his government. Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed earlier this year in Istanbul under pressure from the US. The administration of President Donald Trump has indicated that Kiev will need to agree to some form of territorial compromise to reach a resolution. Zelensky has conceded that Ukraine cannot achieve a military victory and is urging the West to intensify sanctions on Moscow in hopes of forcing it to yield diplomatically.
Russia Today
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Top Ukrainian MP labels Telegram ‘a tool of the enemy'
A senior Ukrainian lawmaker has labeled Telegram an 'enemy tool' used by Russia to 'destroy' the country's statehood, amid a renewed push to force the encrypted messaging service into cooperation with Kiev authorities. Founded by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, Telegram remains widely popular in Ukraine, with around 70% of the population reportedly using it as their primary source of information, according to recent surveys. 'Telegram is a hostile tool, no matter what anyone says. Convenient – yes, perhaps a very convenient messenger. But we must understand that this is one of the main tools of the enemy in destroying the Ukrainian state and nation,' the head of the Ukrainian parliamentary Committee on Information Policy, Nikita Poturaev, told on Saturday. Kiev has persistently advocated restrictions on the app, citing national security. In September, the government ordered public employees to limit Telegram use on work devices. In March, Ukrainian lawmakers introduced a bill to regulate social media platforms, requiring them to appoint legal representatives in Ukraine and grant authorities the power to block content and users. Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kirill Budanov, has repeatedly called Telegram a 'threat to national security,' arguing that users should be deanonymized and held accountable for the 'not really printable' content they share. 'During wartime, knowing the whole truth is not necessary. Otherwise, people may develop opinions,' Budanov stated in April. At the same time, he acknowledged that Telegram is a useful tool for Ukrainian intelligence to spread narratives inside Russia. Kiev's push to regulate Telegram is part of a broader campaign against dissenting voices. Even before the escalation of hostilities with Russia in 2022, Vladimir Zelensky cracked down on critical media, claiming it was necessary to counteract oligarchic influence aligned with Moscow. During the conflict, Kiev launched a 'news marathon' reportedly controlled by the president's office – an initiative critics have described as state propaganda. In response to a 2024 European Commission report criticizing media restrictions, Culture Minister Nikolay Tochitsky claimed his department aims to 'create a broad space for truth and freedom of speech' – but only after martial law is lifted. Earlier this year, turmoil swept through Ukraine's media landscape following US President Donald Trump's decision to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), an organization used by Washington to promote its political agenda. Researcher Oksana Romanyuk estimated in January that nearly 90% of Ukrainian media organizations relied on foreign aid, with 80% specifically receiving funds from USAID.
