Lieutenant General Valerii Kondratiok, former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, asserts that Russia can no longer conquer Ukraine, but Vladimir Putin is not able to admit this. In an interview given to the Ukrainska Pravda publication, Kondratiuk said that the only force capable of changing Russia’s course remains its secret services.
For years, Kondratiok built connections between Ukrainian and American services. With the onset of the large-scale invasion, he practically became one of the informal communication channels between Kirilo Budanov and the USA. In September 2025, when Budanov was still leading GUR, the State Investigation Bureau (DBR) conducted searches at the general’s residence. The press linked this action to these contacts, on the grounds that the authorities in Kiev cannot control them and are therefore disturbed.
“The voter from Ohio will decide the fate of the peace process”
Kondratiok says that high expectations from a single meeting between the President of Ukraine and the US should be avoided. However, it could open the next stage of negotiations. Ukraine needs American support, anti-aircraft defense systems and missiles, as well as the agreement for additional aid from European allies.
The general links the developments to the American political context. According to him, the popularity rating of the US president has dropped to 33%, and the current pressure on Russia, including the enactment of the law proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham regarding tougher sanctions, could partly be an attempt to increase it. “In reality, in the US elections, the voter from Ohio will decide the fate of the future peace process,” he said.
Kondratiok expects the Democrats to win the House of Representatives, while control of the Senate remains uncertain. In his opinion, the elections will be a vote of confidence for President Donald Trump, and the outcome will influence whether Washington will put pressure on Russia or Ukraine, which Trump considers weak.
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