In a post on its Telegram channel Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) has denied claims made by Ukrainska Pravda that the head of the directorate Kyrylo Budanov, warned of a possible collapse of Ukraine if peace talks with Russia don’t start by summer.

“The alleged quote attributed to Budanov during a closed and classified session of the Verkhovna Rada does not reflect reality,” the agency statement said. It also urged media outlets to stop spreading “rumors and unverified information,” as the war with Russia continues.

“Unfortunately, some politicians may distort facts for their own interests, using journalists in the process,” the statement read.

The Ukrainska Pravda article, citing anonymous officials, claimed that during a closed-door meeting in the Verkhovna Rada, Budanov told lawmakers that “very dangerous processes threatening Ukraine’s existence” could begin if negotiations don’t happen by summer.

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However, Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko, who attended the meeting too, pushed back, saying, “He didn’t say that. He mentioned potential problems on the front if nothing changes.”

Several other Ukrainian People’s Deputies echoed Honcharenko’s claim, saying the statement attributed to the Ukrainian spy chief was heavily distorted by the journalists’ sources.

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