The nature of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine shifted after the head of the President’s Office changed Andriy Yermak was replaced by Kyrylo Budanov. From that moment, the makeup of not only the Ukrainian but also the Russian delegation changed.
Ukrainska Pravda notes a fundamental shift in the Kremlin’s approach to the talks: instead of long-winded diplomats, Moscow sent professional military officers, reports Ukrainska Pravda.
“Previously, our side had to listen to hour-long sermons about who conquered whom in the past. Now there are military officers at the table discussing very specific issues: withdrawal mechanisms, guarantees, timelines, and so on. This is perhaps the key change that came with Budanov’s arrival,” said one source familiar with the negotiations.
During Andriy Yermak’s tenure as head of the President’s Office, he tried to create a monopoly over the talks. In reality, there were three different channels: the official one led by Yermak together with the Foreign Ministry, and two unofficial ones - Budanov’s contacts and the contacts of Davyd Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People faction.
The official channel conveyed the need to implement the “peace formula,” while the unofficial channels relayed the real position on the situation and processes in Ukraine.
The change at the top of the President’s Office has unified all communications by the Ukrainian negotiating team under Budanov’s control.
Another key detail is the return of Davyd Arakhamia to the delegation. He offers three advantages for Ukraine:
- Arakhamia has a broad network of contacts in the United States;
- Arakhamia worked closely with Budanov back when Andriy Yermak led the President’s Office;
- Since the Istanbul talks, Arakhamia has had direct contacts with Russian counterparts, including Roman Abramovich.
The decision to bring Arakhamia back into the negotiating group was made jointly by Zelensky and Budanov.
Ahead of the overnight strikes on January 3, US President Donald Trump said talks between Ukraine and Russia were going very well and hinted at good news.
Earlier, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported that US President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff would hold another round of talks with Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday and Thursday.
In an interview with Czech outlet Český rozhlas Plus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv is ready for any format of talks with Russia and the United States. He emphasized that the issue of territory can be effectively resolved only in a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Zelensky, a trilateral contact among Ukraine, Russia and the United States must come first; without such a format, the teams will not be able to agree on territorial questions.
