Igor Kostyukov
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Budanov tells NYT of back-channel contacts with Russian GRU chief and Wagner's Prigozhin; advises Zelensky against Donbas compromises
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with The New York Times published on Friday, September 4, that he maintained contacts with Russian military intelligence (GRU) chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov and with former Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. Budanov, who leads the Ukrainian delegation in talks with Russia, said he advised President Volodymyr Zelensky not to accept territorial compromises on Donbas that would give Moscow a prize its army could not take on the battlefield. He also suggested conditions for a ceasefire are unlikely to emerge before spring 2027.