Ukraine’s Budanov Signals ‘Restrained Optimism’ for Putin-Zelenskyy Summit Amid Intensified Energy Strikes
Ukraine's Presidential Office Chief sees progress toward a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, despite recent diplomatic strains and Russian attacks on energy grids.
POLICY WIRE — Kyiv, Ukraine — Kyrylo Budanov, the current director of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, has expressed cautious hope regarding potential advances toward a direct summit between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin. This sentiment was voiced just before scheduled trilateral negotiations set to take place later this week.
“There are absolutely different situations at different times,” Budanov explained, contrasting the upcoming discussions with earlier talks held in February. He emphasized that the current willingness of all parties to convene indicates that necessary preconditions for progress are now in place.
The Ukrainian official clarified that these upcoming sessions are merely one step in a longer process. “These negotiations are not the last,” he noted, suggesting that further diplomatic engagements are anticipated.
Budanov, who previously headed the nation’s Defense Intelligence Service before assuming his current role in January, is set to travel with Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov. The American delegation will be represented by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while Russia will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a senior aide to Putin who previously headed Moscov’s negotiation team.
Earlier in the week, Witkoff highlighted the diplomatic momentum, stating, We look forward to building on the progress made in Kyiv, Oslo, and St. Petersburg toward a comprehensive, durable peace agreement that delivers lasting security for generations to come.
The imminent talks arrive amidst a period of significant tension in the U.S.-Ukraine partnership. Last month, President Trump announced a historic deal permitting Russia to export diesel fuel to the United States, a first since 2022. Additionally, Elon Musk’s SpaceX temporarily restricted access to Ukraine’s Starshield satellite networks, which hampered Ukrainian drone operations and certain air-defense capabilities before access was restored.
Despite these recent complications, Budanov maintains a positive outlook for bilateral relations with Washington. “Look, it is bad. It should not be like that,” he acknowledged regarding the satellite network interruptions. However, he argued that the issue was ultimately resolved, providing grounds for future confidence.
But along with that, we can remind you that this situation is resolved in one way or another. This gives optimism for the future, Budanov added, pointing to the successful resolution of the tech dispute as a positive indicator.
Simultaneously, Russia has ramped up its bombardment of Ukrainian energy infrastructure. According to Ukraine’s energy ministry, attacks this week struck facilities in ten distinct regions, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power and disrupting water supply to much of Kyiv for over 16 hours.
Speaking from his office in the capital, Budanov attributed these strikes to a strategy aimed at exerting political pressure on the Kyiv government. He described Russia’s intent as to cause the maximum damage to our critical infrastructure.
He further stated that Moscow hopes these actions will “create a foundation for social dissatisfaction, for street protests, and to stifle the national interests.” Budanov firmly assured that such outcomes would not materialize.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
