Budanov and Shmyhal considered for Zelensky’s top aide role
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during an online briefing on Monday, December 8, presented a list of candidates to replace his Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, who recently resigned following a corruption scandal.
The powerful shortlist includes Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, the Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Kyrylo Budanov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Serhiy Kyslytsia, according to Ukrainian media.
The Ukrainian leader explained that a significant hurdle for the candidacies of Prime Minister Shmyhal and Minister Fedorov is that Ukraine's Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) would first have to dismiss them from their current strategic posts before any appointment.
“I wouldn’t want it to happen like the game of Jenga, when you pull out one piece and everything collapses,” Zelensky warned, highlighting the risks to the country's war effort.
The President admitted it is unclear who could take over Fedorov's critical role at the Digital Transformation Ministry. For Shmyhal, he stressed that the national security/defense sector, which he oversees as PM, represents “priority number one,” making his replacement extremely difficult.
Zelensky mentioned a similar issue with Kyrylo Budanov, who leads the crucial military intelligence service.
“He can become the Chief of Staff, just like any of the other candidates, but we must clearly know who will take over the leadership of the GUR. It is a strategic direction,” the Ukrainian leader explained, emphasizing the delicacy of Ukrainian politics during wartime.
Referring to Pavlo Palisa, Zelensky described him as “a very good military man,” but noted his almost exclusive focus on the military dimension of his work.
“I am convinced that, in time, he will adapt to other areas, but now he will inevitably have to continue to relate primarily to the war,” the President declared.
The Dismissal of Andriy Yermak
Andriy Yermak’s dismissal from the Presidential Office took place on November 28, shortly after he submitted his resignation amid a high-profile corruption scandal and related searches.
Yermak had served as the President's Chief of Staff since February 2020 and was widely considered one of the most influential people in Ukrainian politics. He was often described as Zelensky’s closest confidant and the second most powerful figure in the state.
After his departure, Yermak announced he was going to the front lines, stating he did not want to “create problems for Zelensky,” a move widely viewed as political posturing following the high-profile corruption scandal.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
