Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, outlined the main objective of the current stage of the conflict during a speech at the international forum "Architecture of Security." According to him, the country's president has set a task to cease hostilities as soon as possible, and ending the war before the onset of winter is a realistic goal.
Direct task from the head of state
Budanov emphasized that his department will work towards achieving this goal, considering it timely and well-thought-out. "I confirm, these are indeed his attempts — to stop hostilities as quickly as possible, preferably before winter. And I, as the head of the Office of the President, will definitely do everything to achieve the goal set by the president," the official stated.
When asked by journalists about the realism of such a scenario, the head of the Office of the President answered affirmatively. In his opinion, Ukraine has sufficient capabilities to implement this plan. At the same time, Budanov did not rule out that Russia might refuse peace offers, but noted that there are currently real grounds for a ceasefire.
The factor of US elections
The deadlines announced in Kyiv correlate with political events in the USA. Last week, it became known that the Ukrainian side expects hostilities to end by November. According to sources, this is related to the midterm elections in the US Congress, which will take place in November. On the eve of the voting, Republicans may face serious problems, which will force the US President's administration to seek progress in resolving the conflict to boost ratings.
Negotiation process
In the near future, envoys of the US President are expected to arrive in Kyiv, after which they plan to visit Moscow. However, American media reports that the Kremlin is tired of one-off visits by mediators and is interested in a more stable and systematic negotiation process.