Only a strong army can deter Russia from aggression - Budanov

RIGA - In order for the people of the Baltic states to feel secure, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia must have their own strong national armed forces, as this is the only thing capable of deterring the aggressor state in the east from potential aggression, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and former head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, told LETA on the sidelines of the Riga Conference.

"In my opinion, it is easier and cheaper to take deterrent measures to make aggression impossible," Budanov said.

He believes that it is not so important how quickly Russia would be able to rebuild its forces to threaten other neighboring countries after the war in Ukraine ends, as that would not be the main criterion in the minds of Russian planners.

"It is just a matter of Russia’s political decision," the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said.

He noted that, unfortunately, geographical proximity to an aggressor state always creates tense situations and will continue to do so for the Baltic states in the future. To ensure security, the Baltic states must have their own strong national armed forces.

"This will force Russia to take the Baltic states more seriously, reassess its attitude toward the Baltic states’ military capabilities, and constantly reevaluate its stance on potential aggression," Budanov said.

He assessed future relations between Latvia and Ukraine as very good, emphasizing that Ukrainians are very grateful to Latvia for the support it has provided.

"I am convinced that the invaluable contribution Latvia has made in helping Ukraine will always remain in the memory of our people. And Ukraine will duly repay all the assistance that Latvia has provided us during these difficult times," Budanov said.

However, the former head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service does not have much faith in a swift return to peace in Ukraine, as there is no indication that the Russian side desires peace.

"As a citizen who cares about my nation, I sincerely want the war to end. I think every reasonable person around the world does. The real question is whether the other party involved in the war also wants it to end. This question still has no clear answer. To be honest, when analyzing everything that is happening, there are serious doubts about this," Budanov said.

While the Ukrainian president clearly states that Ukraine wants the war to end and calls for a meeting to put an end to the war, the Russian side does not agree, he noted.

"The Russian side is doing nothing that would indicate a genuine intention to end the war. It simply continues to issue ultimatum-style demands, even though they themselves understand perfectly well that these will never be accepted. It is just manipulation. Only those who want to play games to prolong the war act this way," Budanov concluded.

Regarding the alleged increased involvement of intelligence agencies in the Ukrainian peace process, he noted that security services have always been involved in such processes worldwide. Budanov viewed the possible direct involvement of John Ratcliffe, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), positively and noted that "Ratcliffe is a professional, and I am convinced that his involvement will benefit all parties concerned."

Budanov dismissed claims that the coming year on the Ukrainian front would be decisive as something that is repeated year after year, while the war just goes on and on.

"Issues must be resolved immediately, and the focus must be on today rather than waiting for some opportunity that might arise next year. Every time, new geopolitical factors will arise that will again have a negative impact on the peace process. Ukraine’s position is very clear: let us meet and end this war. On normal terms that everyone can understand. This is the official position of the Ukrainian president, which I support," Budanov emphasized.

If Russia does not change its demands and continues to demand everything without offering anything in return, Ukraine will continue to fight, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine added.

Ukraine’s so-called red lines have not changed and will not change even if a country exerts pressure on Ukraine.

"Recognizing parts of our territory as conquered and handing them over to someone else will not happen. No one will redraw the world’s political map, and we will not allow anyone to do so," Budanov stressed.

He also opposes the idea of holding elections in Ukraine while the country continues to be ravaged by war. Budanov noted that so far, no one has made such a demand.

Asked about progress of Ukraine’s ballistic missile program, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine noted that the Russians are already feeling the impact of these missile prototypes firsthand.