Military intelligence denies its head gave Ukraine until summer to launch talks or endanger country’s existence

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) denied on Jan. 27 media reports that its head, Kyrylo Budanov, predicted serious consequences for the existence of Ukraine unless negotiations begin by the summer during a confidential parliamentary meeting.

Although HUR’s statement did not specify the alleged quote, an assessment attributed to Budanov began circulating in the Ukrainian media earlier on Jan. 27.

"If there are no serious negotiations by the summer, then very dangerous processes for the very existence of Ukraine may begin," an undisclosed source told Ukrainska Pravda, referring to an alleged statement by Budanov during a closed-door parliamentary meeting.

"The Ukrainian military intelligence would like to draw the attention… to the fact that the alleged quote of (Budanov)... from a closed, classified session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine… is not true," HUR’s statement read.

Ukrainska Pravda did not specify what processes the military spy chief was said to have in mind. In office since 2020, Budanov has at time made radical predictions about the full-scale war that have not always come true.

Opposition lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko also disputed Ukrainska Pravda’s article, saying the spy chief did not warn of threats to Ukraine’s very existence.

"(Budanov) said that if nothing changes, the front line may begin to collapse and there will be problems," Honcharenko said on his Telegram channel.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

The news comes amid growing expectation of peace talks as U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.

Short on manpower, Kyiv will soon begin the fourth year of the full-scale war on its back foot, with Russia holding or pushing the front line on key directions such as the southwestern edge of Donetsk Oblast or Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Trump’s special peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, said the U.S. aims to end the war in the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.

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