The new head of the presidential administration of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, has close ties to the United States, which could play a significant role in peace talks with the Donald Trump administration, according to a report by the New York Times.
The publication notes that Budanov was trained in a program supported by the CIA.
After being wounded in eastern Ukraine, he was treated at the National Military Medical Center “Walter Reed“ in Maryland, which is extremely rare for a Ukrainian military officer.
The newspaper recalls that Zelensky appointed Budanov as head of military intelligence in 2020. At that time, only 34 years old, he had already earned a reputation as a "bold organizer of covert operations" that sometimes went beyond what was acceptable for the Ukrainian leadership and its Western allies. Under his leadership, military intelligence carried out assassinations and sabotage behind enemy lines, including in Russia.
In 2016, he led a group of special forces that infiltrated the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, where they planned to plant explosives at an airport. When captured by Russian forces, Budanov's unit resisted, killing several Russians, including the son of a general. The Ukrainians had to swim back to Ukrainian-controlled territory, but suffered no casualties.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Budanov has become one of the most prominent figures in the war - although he is mainly responsible for covert operations. His image has become a meme, and the Kremlin calls him a "terrorist".
At the same time, Budanov has maintained contact with the Russian side in prisoner exchange negotiations - a unique phenomenon among the top leadership of Ukraine.
The article also notes that Budanov is seen as a potential rival to Zelensky in the upcoming presidential elections.
“Taking the post of head of the presidential administration could complicate any attempt by Budanov to run for president“, the publication believes.
According to Zelensky, the renewed service will focus primarily on security issues, the development of the Defense Forces and the security of Ukraine, as well as on the peace process.