Budanov made the comments at a press conference during the Security Architecture forum.
"I fully agree [with Zelenskyy]," he said.
"This is the president’s directive — to try as soon as possible to stop this war. I confirm that. There are efforts to stop the fighting as soon as possible, preferably before winter."
He added that, in his role, he will do "everything to achieve the goal set by the president of Ukraine," and called Zelenskyy’s timing assessment realistic.
Zelenskyy said in an interview with CBS News published on May 31 that a diplomatic way to hold peace talks with Russia needs to be found by winter.
"We have this period of time until winter. So I think
that in winter we need to find a way, a diplomatic path, to sit and talk. But
it depends on pressure on [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin, pressure in his
society, and I think that [pressure] is growing," he said.