Budanov rejects China-proposed settlement, says territorial compromises are impossible

Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview published on July 7 that Ukraine cannot accept territorial concessions to end the war and that Moscow cannot be negotiated out of what he described as imperial ambitions. Budanov, who now heads Ukraine’s presidential office and previously led military intelligence, told RBC-Ukraine that any settlement still depends on both military and diplomatic pressure. He also said Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign is expanding as domestic weapons production rises. Separate follow-up reports on July 8 focused on his comments about Crimea, Russian logistics and the growing reach of Ukrainian strikes. ### What exactly did Budanov reject? Budanov said territorial compromise was not a workable path to peace. In the July 7 interview, he dismissed the idea that political or constitutional concessions would satisfy Moscow, arguing that such steps would not change Russia’s objectives in occupied Ukrainian territory. RBC-Ukraine’s English-language coverage framed his position in direct terms: Ukraine would not make territorial concessions, and Budanov rejected the notion that Russia could be satisfied by symbolic changes. (uazmi.com) Kyiv Post, summarizing the same interview, reported that he said negotiations had shown some progress in the spring before entering what he called a new phase of escalation. ### Where does China fit into this story? The material available from verified reporting does not show a direct Budanov quotation naming a specific China-proposed settlement in the July 7 interview. What is documented is Budanov’s earlier public criticism of China’s position on the war and his argument in January that Beijing had profited from Russia’s isolation while not supplying weapons. (uazmi.com) That matters because the current verified interview centers on concessions, escalation and strike strategy, not on a fresh, fully documented Chinese peace plan. The safest reading from the available reporting is that Budanov rejected concessions and argued Russia’s war aims remain unchanged; broader claims tying that directly to a China proposal are not fully substantiated in the reporting reviewed here. (newsukraine.rbc.ua) ### What did he say about long-range strikes? Budanov said Ukraine’s strike campaign has intensified because domestic production has expanded. Ukrinform, citing the same RBC-Ukraine interview, quoted him as saying the “breakthrough is in quantity” and that increased production now allows Ukraine to raise the intensity of operations and produce “concrete results.” (uazmi.com) Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reported on April 28 that the range of deep strikes into Russia’s rear had increased by 170% since 2022, from about 630 km to about 1,750 km. The ministry said Ukrainian forces had hit the Ukhta refinery at that distance and had struck five strategic plants and 10 oil refining facilities in March. The specific claim that strike effectiveness could grow by two to five times by the end of 2026 appears in social-media circulation around the interview, but that exact forecast was not visible in the verified text excerpts reviewed here. (ukrinform.net) What is verified is Budanov’s broader point that domestic production is enabling a larger and more effective campaign. (en.interfax.com.ua) ### Which targets did Budanov identify? Budanov said Crimea is central because Russian forces in southern Ukraine rely on supply routes through the occupied peninsula. Ukrinform quoted him as saying Ukraine’s “main task now” is to cut off southern logistics that support Russia’s Dnipro grouping. (ukrinform.net) RBC-Ukraine’s follow-up report said recent strikes had contributed to fuel shortages, blackouts and water outages in Crimea, and linked those effects to attacks on oil depots, energy infrastructure and transport-related logistics. The broader pattern matches recent Ukrainian reporting on strikes against Russian oil sites and military infrastructure in occupied Crimea and inside Russia. (ukrinform.net) ### What comes next? July 8 follow-up coverage from Ukrinform and RBC-Ukraine suggests Budanov’s interview will continue to be read through the lens of Ukraine’s summer strike campaign in Crimea and against Russian fuel infrastructure. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has already tied that campaign to longer-range domestic weapons and to pressure on Russia’s economy and military rear. (ukrinform.net) (newsukraine.rbc.ua)