---
title: "Budanov reveals the real state of negotiations with Russia: dialogue limited to prisoner exchanges, major swap imminent"
description: "Head of the Office of the President Budanov confirmed on the telethon that dialogue with Russia is limited to prisoner exchanges, and a major swap is planned for the near future. There is no talk of negotiations on ending the war."
date: 2026-08-28T15:28:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/budanov-russia-negotiations-prisoner-exchange
tags: [ukraine, russia, budanov, prisoner-exchange, negotiations, war, office-of-the-president]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Budanov reveals the real state of negotiations with Russia: dialogue limited to prisoner exchanges, major swap imminent

![Kyrylo Budanov, head of HUR, sitting at a desk in an office in the context of discussing negotiations with Russia and prisoner exchanges](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/28/budanov-peregovory-s-rossiey-obmen-plennymi/budanov-peregovory-s-rossiey-obmen-plennymi-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Budanov confirmed that negotiations with Russia are limited to prisoner-of-war exchanges
- A major prisoner exchange is planned for the near future
- Stopping the war under current conditions was called unrealistic
- Budanov mentioned searching for “maritime options” without revealing details
- Specific deadlines and format of political negotiations with Russia were not named

The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, commented on the current state of contacts with Moscow in an interview on the telethon. According to him, at present, negotiations with the aggressor state are limited exclusively to issues of prisoner-of-war exchanges. “By the way, there was recently one exchange, then on Independence Day, more people were returned from the territory of Belarus. Well, and there will be another big exchange very soon,” Budanov stated, emphasizing that it is precisely these aspects that form the basis of the dialogue with Russia at the current stage.

### Stopping the war is “unrealistic”

Budanov stated outright that Russia does not intend to halt combat operations along the front line and move to full-fledged peace negotiations. In his assessment, ending the war under the current conditions is unrealistic. “I think that very soon everyone will see the negotiations, but this will be more about the technical side and preparation for something bigger, for which, I hope, we will eventually get there,” the Head of the Office of the President clarified, without revealing the details of the upcoming contacts.

### “Maritime options” and preparation for a major exchange

Separately, Budanov mentioned that Ukraine will be looking for “maritime options, because something needs to be done about this.” The context of this statement was not revealed on air, however the wording points to work on logistical and operational tasks related to the maritime direction. The major prisoner exchange that Budanov spoke about is planned for the near future and, according to him, will be a continuation of the series of returns that began with the exchange on Independence Day and the subsequent return of people from the territory of Belarus.

### Context: mobilization and the enemy's assessment of the course of the war

Within the same cycle of statements, Budanov had earlier noted that Ukraine cannot mobilize fewer than 30,000 people into the army each month and questioned the logic of conscripting women in a situation where men of conscription age remain. In addition, the Head of the Office of the President reported that the Russian side believed that the war would end against the backdrop of the protests that took place in Ukraine last year. These assessments make it possible to trace how Kyiv interprets the strategic thinking of the adversary and its own personnel limitations.

### What this means for the negotiation track

Budanov's statements confirm that a formal channel of communication between Kyiv and Moscow exists, but is reduced to the minimum possible format — humanitarian exchange. None of the sources indicates preparation for political or territorial negotiations. The wording “preparation for something bigger” remains the only reference to a possible escalation of the negotiation process, however Budanov did not name any specific deadlines, venues, or mediators. Thus, as of August 28, 2026, the publicly confirmed scope of dialogue between the parties is limited to issues of the return of prisoners of war.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Budanov: a major prisoner exchange will happen soon](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/budanov-nezabarom-bude-velikiy-obmin-polonenimi-1787930490.html) - Первичный источник цитат Буданова из телемарафона. Подтверждает ограничение диалога обменами пленными и анонс крупного обмена.
- [Negotiations are underway, but only on one topic: Head of the Office of the President reveals the real state of closed ...](https://from-ua.org/news/702952-peregovory-idut-no-tolko-po-odnoi-teme-glava-op-raskryl-realnoe-sostoianie-zakrytyx-kontaktov-s-moskvoi.html) - Независимая перепечатка с расширенным контекстом. Сходная подача фактов, без расхождений в датах или цифрах.
- [Budanov: We will not stop the war now, it is unrealistic](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/08/28/8050802/) - Подтверждает тезис о нереалистичности остановки войны. Дата публикации 28.08.2026 совпадает с актуальной датой.
- [Stopping the war now is impossible, – Budanov](https://24tv.ua/ru/konec-vojny-budanov-otvetil-budet-li-ukraina-voevat-zimoj_n3131972) - Ещё один независимый источник с тем же ключевым тезисом. Расхождений с остальными источниками не обнаружено.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Budanov say about negotiations with Russia?
**A:** Budanov stated that at present the dialogue with Russia is limited to issues of prisoner-of-war exchanges. Full-fledged peace negotiations are not being conducted. He announced a major prisoner exchange for the near future.

### Q: When is the next prisoner exchange planned?
**A:** Budanov did not name an exact date, but assured that “there will be another big exchange very soon.” An exchange and the return of people from the territory of Belarus have already taken place earlier.

### Q: Did Budanov speak about the possibility of ending the war?
**A:** He outright called stopping the war under current conditions unrealistic and pointed out that Russia does not seek to end combat operations along the front line.

### Q: What does the phrase “maritime options” mean?
**A:** Budanov mentioned that Ukraine will be looking for “maritime options, because something needs to be done about this.” The specific context and content of this wording were not revealed on air.