Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President, stated that halting the war along the current line of contact is currently impossible, confirming that fighting will continue through the upcoming winter. Speaking on the national joint newscast, Budanov said that Russia refuses to stop the war, making any immediate freeze “unrealistic.” He noted that ongoing dialogue with Moscow is currently limited almost entirely to prisoner exchanges, announcing that another major swap will take place “very soon.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. However, Budanov hinted at broader diplomatic efforts, characterizing these exchanges as a technical track that concerns “preparations for something major.” In a separate interview broadcast on Aug. 28, Budanov revealed that during trilateral negotiations in 2025, Russian delegates mistakenly interpreted peaceful protests in Ukraine as a Western-orchestrated coup. Believing the Ukrainian government was about to fall, the Russian representatives told Budanov that “the war is over” and further dialogue was pointless. Budanov said he explained to the Russian delegation that they were misinterpreting Ukrainian society and being fed disinformation by their agents. He noted that the Russian representatives later admitted their mistake, acknowledging their expectations of capitalizing on the situation were unmet. Potential September talks and peace proposals Budanov’s latest remarks follow his Aug. 27 statement indicating that a new round of paused negotiations could be “revived” as early as September, potentially involving the US.