Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had proposed the head of the Ukrainian intelligence service, Kirill Budanov, to head the Office of the President of Ukraine.
He noted that he considers the development of the Ukrainian armed forces and law enforcement agencies, as well as the “diplomatic path in negotiations“, to be key tasks for his office. He emphasized that he sees Budanov as a person with experience in solving problems in these areas.
“I met with Kirill Budanov and proposed him to head the Office of the President of Ukraine“, Zelensky wrote in his Telegram channel.
On December 30, Zelensky announced that he had chosen a new head of his office. Later, Ukrainian journalists suggested that Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladislav Vlasyuk could head it. Zelensky also named Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmygal, First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia, Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa, and First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as candidates for the post. Zelensky's previous chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, was dismissed on November 28 after being suspected of involvement in a major corruption scheme.