Expectations of a major prisoner exchange around Easter, continued attacks on Russian infrastructure, and overcoming the political crisis in parliament — Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, spoke about this and more in an interview with correspondents from Ukrinform, Novyny.LIVE and FREEДOM, UATV English reports.
Why drones will not replace infantry, how the war in the Middle East is helping the aggressor, and whether a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin is possible to put a “final point” to the war — read in our material.
— The main questions to you, of course, concern the negotiation process. You previously said it is ongoing and not frozen. What stage is it at now?
— You have essentially answered your own question: it is ongoing, it is not frozen. It will continue. We hope and expect the arrival of the American delegation — the President of Ukraine also announced this publicly today. So we hope for the best.
— The President said at the Congress of local and regional authorities that members of the American delegation involved in the negotiation process will likely come after Easter. That’s a rather vague timeframe. Can you explain the period?
— Roughly a week after Easter. That’s not long.
— It’s clear there are contacts with the Americans, but are there contacts with the Russians now?
— Yes. There are about the issues we are working on. At the same time, we all hope for an exchange soon. That is also part of the discussion. Exchanges don’t happen by themselves — they need to be organized.
— Easter is also a time when Ukrainians hope for good news regarding prisoner exchanges. We know such exchanges are never announced in advance, but should we expect positive news?
— We hope so. A day before or a day after — it can be expected. We are all waiting.
— As a member of the negotiation group, do you think there is a chance that talks in a trilateral format will resume?
— Yes. You understand that we cannot put a final point — neither positive nor negative — without a personal meeting of the leaders. The Russians understand this as well. Believe me, it will happen one way or another.
— Do you mean a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin?
— Leaders must ultimately put the final point. Let’s hope for that.
— Our deep strikes are happening daily — we are hitting Russian infrastructure every day. How does this affect the negotiation process? Do the Russians complain that there are too many strikes?
— No, they don’t complain. They wouldn’t — that would mean admitting weakness. But it does affect them, and they constantly point to this in their reports. It is a problem for them. Just as their strikes are a problem for us.
— How has the war in the Middle East affected Russia’s ability to continue fighting?
— To some extent, it has benefited them — you understand this as well. Mainly due to the sharp increase in oil prices. Some of their entities have effectively moved out from under sanctions, which has also boosted their optimism. The price spike is a huge plus for them. Unfortunately, our strikes on their refineries cannot fully offset that. But they definitely impact Russia’s oil and gas sector.
We cannot afford to stop them while the war continues.
Western partners have asked Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil terminals, however Kyiv continues to act in its own national interests.
“I can only speak in general terms: yes, such requests do exist. Why is this happening? You can understand it as well — it is a matter of pricing. But we have our own war. Their position is understandable, it is their truth, but there is also our truth and our national interest. And it is exactly as it is. We are not stopping,” Budanov said in response to FREEДOM correspondent question.
DRONES WILL NOT WIN THE WAR FOR US
— Russia is suffering heavy personnel losses every month — around 30–35 thousand. Our strategic goal is 50,000. How far are we from that?
— You just named the number yourself.
— What do we need to reach this goal? More drones?
— I am not a fan of the idea that drones will win this war for us. Wars are not won without people. They can be lost without people — that happens. But winning without people is impossible.
UNITY HAS BEEN SEEN THREE TIMES IN HISTORY
Budanov noted that he has seen real national unity only three times:
1991 — during the collapse of the Soviet Union
2014 — during the Maidan and the start of the war
2022 — at the beginning of the full-scale invasion
— We are approaching another “trigger event” that will require unity. Without it, there could be a catastrophe.
POLITICAL PROCESS AND PARLIAMENTARY CRISIS
Budanov said that the political crisis in parliament has largely been overcome:
— I said earlier there was no crisis, only a problem — and we solved it. The necessary decisions have been made. This will allow us to secure funding needed for the functioning of the state and avoid cuts to budget programs.
He added that dialogue between the President’s Office and parliament should continue on a systematic basis.
— Unity begins with each citizen and extends to the President, parliament, and government. Everything must work in harmony. If the situation remains where both a soldier and a draft evader are seen as heroes at the same time, we will not get far.
Just think about it: if everyone becomes a draft evader, will Ukraine remain on the political map? No — it will not exist. Nothing will be left.
“— I am not a fan of the idea that drones will win this war for us. Wars are not won without people. They can be lost without people — that happens. But winning without people is impossible.”
Exactly what I’ve been saying.
For what it’s worth, rat fuhrer putler announced an Easter ceasefire from Saturday afternoon until end of April 12.
I would observe this ceasefire in the same manner that putler observed the ceasefire over our Easter.
Define ceasefire… Flying observation drones is not “fire”, so that should continue, hacking IT networks, same,
No, Ukraine cannot and should not stop its attacks on mafia refineries and other oil infrastructure. This is their best weapon and every best weapon should be used to the fullest.