Budanov on negotiations with Russia: the process is not at a deadlock, but there will be no "ceasefire" on Trinity Sunday

Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, commented on the current status of peace negotiations with Russia. Speaking at the international forum "Architecture of Security," he refuted the thesis that the dialogue between the parties has reached a deadlock. According to the Head of the Office of the President, work on resolving the conflict continues, although it is being conducted in a closed format.

Pause at the highest level and activity at the technical level

Budanov acknowledged that there is currently a pause in contacts at the highest level. However, he emphasized that this does not mean a complete cessation of communication. At the technical level, the process has not stopped, and regular prisoner exchanges serve as a vivid confirmation of this.

"Regarding the negotiation process: I have never said that it is at a deadlock and I continue to stand by that opinion. Certain processes are continuing, you are right, they are, so to speak, not entirely public," stated the Head of the Office of the President.

Russia's readiness for peace and rumors of a ceasefire

Responding to the question of whether Russia really wants peace, Budanov expressed skepticism. He suggested that Moscow's desire to end the war is not a priority, but noted that prospects for certain actions on the part of the RF have emerged now more than ever.

The Head of the Office of the President paid special attention to rumors circulating in the media space about a possible ceasefire during the celebration of Trinity Sunday. Budanov categorically refuted the existence of such agreements.

"I have not received such information. Moreover, you can look at how many targets were struck by the Russian Federation yesterday, how many human casualties. Therefore, I do not quite understand what we are talking about now," he noted.

Context of negotiations

The situation surrounding the peace process remains tense. Since the beginning of 2026, several rounds of negotiations between Ukraine and the RF have taken place with US mediation. However, the process slowed down after the question of a meeting between state leaders at the highest level arose.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated his readiness to sit down at the negotiating table with the Russian leadership. At the same time, Moscow constantly puts forward preliminary conditions that hinder reaching an agreement.