The acting president of Ukraine Vladimir Zelenski has made an interesting choice by filling the position of his chief of staff with the head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Service (GUR) General Kyrylo Budanov.
Zelensky Asks General to Replace Chief of Staff Ousted in Graft Scandal (archived) – NY Times, Jan 2 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said Friday that he had asked Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the country’s military intelligence agency, to be his new chief of staff, filling a weekslong vacancy left by the resignation of Mr. Zelensky’s right-hand man over a corruption scandal.
Budanov has accepted his new position.
He is a live long military intelligence man with personal battle experience. He once led a CIA trained unit which in 2016 tried to attack Russian positions in Crimea. He was wounded on several occasions and the CIA once flew him to Washington for rehabilitation in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The GUR under Budanov has been the main conduit for executing CIA terror attacks in Russia.
The NY Times continues:
Mr. Budanov has been seen as a potential rival to Mr. Zelensky as the United States and Russia call for elections in Ukraine. Bringing the general into the presidential office could complicate any run by Mr. Budanov for the presidency.
In announcing his intention to appoint him, Mr. Zelensky said that Ukraine “needs greater focus on security issues,” the development of its defense and security forces, and further progress on the diplomatic track of negotiations.
The NYT is right in claiming that Budanov has been seen as a potential rival to Zelenski. But the bigger rival to Zelenski is the former commander in chief General Valeri Zaluzhny who was moved aside as ambassador to Britain but could come back to run against Zelenski in upcoming elections.
Lifting Budanov to the informal number two position in Ukraine might have a different purpose than blocking a rival candidate. It is highly questionable that Zelenski will survive in his position until the end of 2026.
When Zelenski leaves office he will be endangered by various forces. He could go to jail for this or that corruption scheme run through his office, or he could be killed for ‘treason’ by one of the ‘nationalist’ extremist formations.
But if Budanov were anointed as his successor Zelenski could sleep well. It would be a deal similar to the one the former Russian president Yelzin made in 1999 when he anointed Vladimir Putin in exchange for protection.
In two days Budanov will celebrate his 40th birthday. His career has only just started.
One aspect of interest here is the rivalry between the CIA and its British MI-6 competition. Yermak, the ousted former head of Zelenki’s office, had good relation with MI-6. Zaluzhni is likewise seen as a British intelligence asset. Budanov in contrast is a CIA figure. The U.S. would like to shut down the war, at least for now. The British have tried to prolong it. In his new position Budanov can move the scale towards the U.S. favored outcome.
Budanov has been warning cryptically for some time that Ukraine will lose the war against Russia. He will now take the role of the de facto chief negotiator of a peace deal.
The Russians will not like to have to deal with someone who has supervised the killing of Russia civilians. On the other side they will acknowledge that Budanov is a competent and resourceful soldier. The various exchanges of prisoners were negotiated with him. It will be easier to work with him than with some scheming lawyer. Budanov is thus well positioned to make some kind of peace deal with Russia.
Through his position as head of the GUR Budanov has control over several powerful ‘nationalist’ formations who fight under the GUR banner. This will make it easier for him to sell a peace deal within Ukraine and to suppress any forces which want the war to continue.
