US considers Budanov to be Ukraine's bargaining chip - Sky News

The head of the President's Office, Kyrylo Budanov, could be an important bargaining chip for Ukraine at the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, Sky News reports.

Sources advising the US military and intelligence on Ukraine say that Budanov's presence at the talks is viewed extremely positively. According to Sky News' interlocutors, the US military and intelligence respect him, and the fact that he is participating in the negotiation process is an important signal.

"Budanov is the only member of Zelenskyy's office that they take seriously. US military and US intelligence respect him. The US loves Budanov. The fact Budanov is there is positive. But I don't see the Russian war machine slowing down," the media quoted their source as saying.

Sally Lockwood, a Sky News correspondent, also notes that the current meeting "feels different" from the previous fruitless talks. According to her, none of the parties would have come to Abu Dhabi (the capital of the United Arab Emirates) without a compromise to discuss.