Why this score Career military-intelligence officer, long head of Ukraine's HUR before moving to the Presidential Office. Precise and often early on Russian force movements and intentions, and his disclosures have repeatedly been borne out; but he speaks for a belligerent and his forecasts about negotiations and Russian collapse have run optimistic. Above the midpoint for factual disclosure, well short of authoritative on the future.
We have to find the courage and honestly say: we cannot mobilize fewer than 30,000 people a month. This is the minimum number needed to maintain what we have.
Said on Ukraine’s joint national newscast on August 28, 2026, as head of the Presidential Office, and relayed by Kyiv Post from Ukrainska Pravda. Ukraine publishes no monthly mobilisation figures against which the floor can be checked.
A new round of talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations could take place as early as September. The negotiations are paused but could soon be revived — “And with the Americans too. We can't do without them.”
Mixed. Talks with the Americans did revive: US envoys saw Putin on September 5 and Zelenskyy on the 6th, and Zelenskyy met Trump on the 22nd. But no Ukrainian and Russian delegations met in September; on the 21st Peskov said there had been ‘no developments in the negotiation process’ (Kyiv Post).