General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, has been appointed Volodymyr Zelenskiy's new chief of staff. Fedorov was at one point seen as a potential candidate to replace Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, who resigned over a corruption scandal. It also removes a celebrated spymaster from his post, shaking up Ukraine’s intelligence leadership. Budanov’s move to the presidential office suggests that he will not compete against Zelenskiy in a presidential election, political analysts said. Recent polling showed that Budanov would beat Zelenskiy in Ukraine’s two-phase presidential election if he entered the second round.

Source: The Irish Times January 03, 2026 20:57 UTC