Ukraine: With these two new appointments, Zelenskyj creates the chance for actual change | EUROtoday

On Friday afternoon, Volodymyr Zelenskyj appointed the earlier head of navy intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, as the brand new head of the Presidential Office – and thus his new chief of employees. Budanov succeeds the much-discussed Andriy Yermak, who resigned on the finish of 2025 within the wake of a simmering corruption scandal. The president now spoke of a “comprehensive realignment” and named the objective of constructing Ukraine “more resilient”.

The 39-year-old Budanov is fashionable in Ukraine and is considerably of a cult determine. As a former particular forces soldier, he fought in Donbass himself after 2014 and nonetheless bears scars from the preventing to at the present time. In his position as navy intelligence chief, he was primarily involved with operations behind Russian traces. Coordinated operations deep inside Russia – corresponding to Operation Spiderweb – are among the many most spectacular Ukrainian successes on this struggle. Budanov can be extremely regarded by his most necessary supporters, particularly the USA. He was educated underneath a CIA-sponsored program a number of years in the past.

Budanov seems extra reserved than his predecessor and will thus redefine the position of the presidential workplace. Jermak was criticized for a very long time as a result of he was seen as a micromanager who typically bought misplaced in home political trench warfare.

The undeniable fact that Zelenskyj appointed the 34-year-old digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov as protection minister on Friday night can be brave – however constant when it comes to content material. It is a chance for actual change.

Fedorov and his group have been advancing key areas of Ukrainian protection for years – notably drones and synthetic intelligence. At the start of the struggle, he was additionally the one who contacted Elon Musk to arrange the Starlink Internet for Ukraine.

In an interview with WELT in spring 2024, Fedorov mentioned: “The situation on the battlefield and the outcome of this war depend on technological development.” Given the personnel scarcity within the Ukrainian military, that is much more true as we speak. The nation wants a technological edge to outlive.

In any case, Fedorov is without doubt one of the fittest ministers in Europe. Anyone who enters his workplace leads to a type of non-public gymnasium: subsequent to the desk there’s a treadmill, an indoor bike and a rowing machine.