Kirill Budanov predicts a halt in hostilities, but peacekeepers and NATO involvement remain sticking points as tensions simmer.
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| Ukraine Ceasefire Possible This Year, Says Top Spy |
This comes after high-level talks between the U.S. and Russia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ukraine and the EU weren’t invited, and Kyiv made it clear they won’t accept any deals they’re not part of. Budanov called the situation “paradoxical.” He believes a ceasefire is possible this year, but how long it lasts—or if it even holds—is anyone’s guess.
Last month, rumors swirled that Budanov told lawmakers behind closed doors Ukraine might not make it unless talks with Russia start by summer. The HUR denied it, saying the reports were twisted and out of context.
Budanov’s take? The only real security guarantee for Ukraine is NATO membership. Everything else, he says, is just promises. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants at least 200,000 foreign troops to back Ukraine up. Europe’s NATO members are thinking smaller—way smaller. Zelensky called that approach “nothing.”
The U.S. has already said it won’t send troops or involve NATO in any peacekeeping mission. Russia, meanwhile, isn’t playing nice. They’ve warned that any European peacekeepers in Ukraine would be seen as a provocation. Moscow’s demands are clear: Ukraine has to drop its NATO dreams and give up claims to Crimea and four other regions that joined Russia after referendums in 2022. Crimea’s been with Russia since 2014.