"In a social media post released on January 2, just hours after his nomination first appeared publicly, Budanov -- who heads the military intelligence agency known as HUR -- said he would accept the new position."It is an honor and a responsibility, at a historic time for Ukraine, to focus on critically important issues of the strategic security of our state," he said in a Telegram post ."
"The chief of Ukraine's military intelligence agency will be Volodymyr Zelenskyy's new top political adviser, the Ukrainian president announced, elevating a shadowy figure who is credited with some of the country's more audacious wartime endeavors.Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov's nomination as head of the presidential office came as Zelenskyy tries to move beyond a snowballing corruption scandal that had resulted in the sacking of his longtime adviser, Andriy Yermak."
"The 39-year-old Budanov, sometimes referred to in Ukrainian media as "the man without a smile," will move into the critically important post at a key moment for Ukraine, as negotiations to try to end Russia's nearly four-year war intensify.Yermak, a longtime confidant of Zelenskyy, had been a key negotiator in peace talks -- first and foremost with the United States."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy nominated Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, head of military intelligence (HUR), as his new top political adviser and head of the presidential office. Budanov accepted the post and pledged to focus on strategic security issues during a historic time for Ukraine. The nomination follows the dismissal of longtime adviser Andriy Yermak after a snowballing corruption scandal. The change comes as international negotiations to end Russia's nearly four-year war intensify, with prior peace talks accelerating after a November 2025 U.S. plan seen as favorable to Russia and subsequent Ukrainian efforts to push back.
Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]