Ukrainian intelligence chief: Russia would accept US guarantees

According to Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Russia is prepared to accept US security guarantees for Ukraine after the war. In an interview with Ukrainian television, he referred to the latest peace talks in Geneva.

‘At the last talks, the Russian side said it would accept the security guarantees offered to Ukraine by the US,’ Budanov said. He cautioned, however, that the negotiations had produced no breakthrough and had been described by both sides as difficult. Washington, by contrast, spoke of ‘meaningful progress’.

US President Donald Trump is pressing Moscow and Kyiv to reach an agreement to end the largest conflict in Europe since 1945. Ukraine is seeking firm security guarantees that would commit the US and its European allies to act in the event of further Russian aggression.

According to Budanov, Moscow has not agreed to a summit between Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin regards the Ukrainian leader as illegitimate.

(reuters, sab)