Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Kyrylo Budanov, in a comment to the "Public" (Suspilne) TV channel, confirmed that Kyiv had earlier put forward an initiative for a full ceasefire, which was to cover both the line of combat contact and the airspace over Ukrainian territory. According to the head of the Office of the President, this proposal was personally delivered to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. However, as Budanov emphasized, Moscow did not respond to this initiative — no official reply was received.
Content and Format of the Proposal
Budanov clarified that the proposal was not only about stopping Russian strikes on Ukrainian territory, but also about halting hostilities directly at the front. Thus, Kyiv's initiative was of a comprehensive nature and envisaged the simultaneous freezing of the conflict in two dimensions — ground and air. The head of the SBU emphasized that the proposal was addressed personally to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, indicating the high level at which Kyiv attempted to register a negotiating signal.
Moscow's Silence and Continuing Strikes
Despite the initiative having been, according to Budanov, brought to Putin's attention, no Russian response followed. The head of the SBU cited a telling detail: "But the drones keep flying, you've all seen it," pointing out that aerial attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure continue as before. This indicates that in practice Moscow not only did not accept the proposal but also took no visible steps toward de-escalation.
Visit of U.S. Special Envoys
Separately, Budanov reported on the upcoming visit to Ukraine by special representatives of U.S. President Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. According to him, during the stay of the American delegation in Kyiv, Russia may refrain from striking the capital. At the same time, the head of the SBU explicitly noted that he had received no formal guarantees from the Russian side on this matter. This means that a possible pause in the shelling remains a scenario, not a parameter fixed by agreement.
Contradictory Data
The provided sources present a consistent version of events: RBC-Ukraine, citing Budanov's statement, records the fact of the proposal and the absence of a Moscow response. However, there is an important nuance: the information about a possible cessation of strikes on Kyiv during the visit of Witkoff and Kushner is presented by Budanov as a supposition, not as a confirmed agreement. Thus, between "the proposal was delivered" (a fact, according to Budanov) and "Russia may not carry out strikes" (speculation) there is a gap in the degree of reliability that must be taken into account when interpreting the statement.
As of the current date, September 5, 2026, neither side has published any additional clarifications on the status of this proposal. The Ukrainian side, judging by the tone of Budanov's statement, records Moscow's silence as a fact but does not declare an abandonment of the negotiating track. The further dynamics will largely depend on the outcomes of the visit by the U.S. special representatives and whether they manage to fix at least a partial freezing of the conflict.
