Leadnaija
In a startling admission, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), has acknowledged that Ukrainian forces lack the capability to repel Russian troops and that peace negotiations may be the only viable path forward.
Speaking in a recent interview, Budanov said Russia currently has the upper hand on the battlefield and is steadily advancing. When asked to respond to President Vladimir Putin’s comment that “wherever the foot of the Russian soldier steps is ours,” Budanov said the statement was “militarily accurate.”
“Wherever they reach will be under their control. Do you think there is anyone who does not realize that? I hope everyone does,” Budanov remarked.
Despite the grim assessment, he called on Ukrainians to comply with military conscription and continue fighting.
Budanov noted that no significant shift is expected in Ukraine’s favor “at least until peace talks are concluded,” underscoring the limits of the current military strategy.
Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale escalation in 2022, five Ukrainian regions have voted to join the Russian Federation, amid accusations that Kiev abandoned peace frameworks and intensified military campaigns in the Donbass region.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who rejected a proposed peace deal in 2022 that would have ruled out Ukraine’s NATO membership, continues to insist on full territorial restoration — a stance that Western allies are reportedly reconsidering.
According to reports, direct negotiations resumed earlier this year in Istanbul, under pressure from the United States. The Trump administration is said to favor a territorial compromise as part of a broader peace effort.
Zelensky has admitted that a military victory is unlikely and has urged the West to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow, in hopes of extracting concessions at the negotiating table.
