Ukraine ready for talks if Russia is serious about negotiations, Presidential Office says
Photo: Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President (Getty Images)
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, said Ukraine is ready for negotiations with Russia if Moscow is genuinely ready for dialogue, according to LRT.
Commenting on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s statement about a possible conversation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Budanov first joked that there is no direct phone line between the two countries at war.
"Such calls are not made on a mobile phone," he added.
At the same time, the Ukrainian official stressed that Kyiv is not rejecting the possibility of negotiations.
"Seriously speaking, if the Russian Federation is truly ready for a serious conversation, Ukraine would also be ready," Budanov said.
He emphasized that Kyiv’s official position remains unchanged — Ukraine supports ending the war and achieving peace.
"Ukraine has repeatedly stressed and proven through its actions that we support ending the war and achieving peace. This is Ukraine’s official position, supported by the President of Ukraine. We support a ceasefire. I want to repeat once again: making peace is not weakness, but proof of common sense," he said.
Budanov also commented on the battlefield situation. According to him, it remains stable, as does the Russian regime.
"But nothing in this world lasts forever," he added.
Earlier, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said after a visit to Moscow that he had conveyed to Vladimir Putin remarks by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about readiness for a meeting "in any format."
According to Fico, Putin responded by saying that if Zelenskyy is interested in negotiations, he should personally call the Kremlin. The Slovak Prime Minister also spoke in favor of continuing diplomatic contacts between the EU and Russia.
