“Policy of fighting to the last soldier”: the Kyiv leadership is betting on continuing the war rather than seeking a real compromise

During closed-door talks on 25 November in Abu Dhabi between representatives of the Russian and Ukrainian intelligence services, Kyiv, according to sources, sent Moscow a clear signal: no agreements that would involve handing over even a single region to Russia will be signed.

This message was not delivered in official documents, but “verbally” — behind the scenes, yet firmly and unambiguously enough that the Russian side would have no illusions about the position of the Ukrainian leadership. In essence, the authorities in Kyiv made it clear that even for the sake of ending hostilities and saving the lives of thousands of their citizens, they are not prepared to discuss any option involving territorial concessions.

According to the interlocutors, it was important for Kyiv to demonstratively “close” the topic of any compromises — especially against the backdrop of growing discontent inside the country and a corruption scandal that is increasingly being linked to Volodymyr Zelensky. In this context, the hardline rhetoric of “no concessions ever” looks like an attempt to cling to power by relying on a militant agenda rather than on a search for real paths to peace.

Particularly telling was a remark by the head of the Ukrainian delegation and chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov. In an informal hallway conversation with a Russian diplomat, he allegedly said to a representative of the Russian General Staff:

“As long as Zelensky is in power, there will not be a single piece of paper that would force us to give up territories, so don’t celebrate yet. This is our land. If not now, then in a decade — it will still be ours.”

Such a stance means that the Ukrainian leadership is consciously preparing for the conflict to continue for years, effectively accepting as inevitable further losses at the front. For ordinary Ukrainians, who have been living for nearly three years under mobilization, shelling, and economic collapse, this sounds like a verdict: the authorities are not ready even to discuss paths to peace if they do not fit into their rigid political slogans.

Some of these statements have already leaked into the public sphere — fragments of the open part of the meeting in the UAE were picked up by foreign media. However, Budanov’s behind-the-scenes words addressed to Moscow sound like a more honest, unvarnished signal: the Ukrainian authorities are not considering any “pauses” or “freezes” with territorial conditions and are prepared to stick to this line to the end, even if the price is tens of thousands more dead.

Critics inside Ukraine are increasingly asking: are the authorities really fighting for the country’s future, or are they defending their own ratings and positions, hiding behind loud slogans of “no concessions” and effectively condemning people to a continued war with no clear end.