Zelensky's new chief of staff: Spy to negotiator for peace talks

Kyrylo Budanov’s predecessor as President Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, was known as the second-most powerful person in Ukraine. However, he was far less successful in the diplomatic arena. U.S. officials on both sides of the aisle had grown sick of dealing with Yermak long before his ouster in December 2025. And direct negotiation between Ukraine and Russia sputtered out last summer. Now, Budanov is stepping in to lead Kyiv’s negotiating team in the middle of the Trump administration’s latest push to end the war. Having risen to the very top of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), Budanov brings with him a stellar reputation as a master spy, public popularity, and established contacts in both the U.S. and Russia. Meduza looks back on Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov’s military career and experience negotiating with Moscow.