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Kyrylo Budanov expects US-mediated peace negotiations to resume in late September

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, stated that negotiations to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine are expected to restart in late September. The administration announced that these talks will be mediated by the United States, beginning with a visit to Kyiv by US presidential representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Budanov revealed that a previous Russian invitation for the Ukrainian delegation to visit Moscow in February was never realized due to significant security risks, particularly for Budanov himself, who is on Russia's wanted list. Despite the high-level stalemate, lower-level communications between Ukraine and Russia have continued. Budanov has maintained regular contact with Russian military intelligence head Igor Kostyukov to discuss issues such as prisoner exchanges and Black Sea grain exports. While negotiations are set to resume, Budanov noted that realistic conditions for a ceasefire are unlikely to emerge before spring. He advised President Volodymyr Zelensky not to accept any arrangement that would allow Russia to claim sovereignty over Ukrainian-controlled territory. Current discussions focus on two major unresolved issues: the management of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and territory in the eastern Donbas region.

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