Head of Zelenskyy's office Budanov signals cautious optimism on Ukraine war's end
Photo: Kyrylo Budanov (t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President, said there is movement toward ending the war in Ukraine and voiced "cautious optimism" about the prospects at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"A critically important question is where we stand right now. I want to hope that we are still on the path toward a fundamental resolution of this war, which, I would like to remind everyone once again, is the bloodiest and most horrific conflict on European soil since the end of World War II," he said.
Budanov noted that the war in Ukraine is one of the bloodiest in the world's post-war history.
"We are moving forward. There is no guarantee that peace will come tomorrow. Anyone who claims that is simply not telling the truth. But a great deal of effort is being made," he said.
Budanov emphasized that efforts were being made on both the Ukrainian and US sides, adding that success in the near term also largely depends on Russia.
"You understand who we are dealing with, so I don’t think any extra words are needed here," Budanov said.
Summing up his remarks, he stressed that progress is being made and described the current situation as "cautious optimism."
Ukrainian delegation in Davos
National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, who leads Ukraine’s negotiating team, said that dialogue with the US side will continue during the World Economic Forum in Davos. US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the forum in person.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine would definitely take part in this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, with the Ukrainian delegation represented at the highest level.
In addition, media reports have suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump could sign a postwar reconstruction agreement for Ukraine by the end of January, with a total value of $800 billion.
On Monday, January 20, Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived in Davos for talks with US representatives for the first time since 2022.
Zelenskyy said he is not traveling to Davos for now, remaining in Ukraine due to a massive overnight Russian attack. However, he added that the trip could still take place if decisions are made on energy support packages or air defense systems.
