On 2 January Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the country’s military intelligence agency, as his new chief of staff. Budanov replaced Andriy Yermak, who resigned back in November 2025 following an anti-corruption investigation in Ukraine’s energy sector. This was a damaging scandal, coming amid increased Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid. An investigation uncovered a kickback scheme involving high-level government officials and close associates of the president. Zelenskyy has also nominated Mykhailo Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation since 2019, as the new defence minister. During a press conference, Zelenskyy announced that these personnel changes reflected a ‘two-track strategy’ focused on strengthening Ukraine in peace negotiations whilst prioritizing technological scaling should the war with Russia continue.
Zelenskyy’s reshuffle aims to neutralize political rivals, restore trust – and account for Trump’s unpredictability (Jaroslava Barbieri – Chatham House)
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