Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that he is considering several candidates for the position of head of the President’s Office. Among them are Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, and Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Potential Candidates for the Head of the President’s Office
Volodymyr Zelensky noted that he has held consultations regarding possible appointments. He emphasized that he is considering Ministers Shmyhal and Fedorov, but pointed out procedural difficulties, as their appointments would first require their dismissal from their current positions in the Cabinet of Ministers.
Zelensky also added that among the candidates are Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Serhiy Kyslytsia and Deputy Head of the President’s Office Pavlo Palisa. He specifically highlighted the role of Kyrylo Budanov, stating that he heads the GUR, and appointing him to a new position requires finding a worthy replacement in intelligence.
“I have held consultations… I have options – Minister Shmyhal or Minister Fedorov, but there is a challenge here – because the Council needs to dismiss them before appointing them… The President’s Office is important, but there are also other institutions. I don’t know who could replace Fedorov… maybe Mykhailo will find an alternative for himself. It’s more complicated with the Ministry of Defense because the entire budget is there, the responsibility is there, the army is there. Today, this is the number one priority,” he told reporters.
The Situation Surrounding the Resignation of the Previous Head of the President’s Office
Recall that at the end of November, searches were conducted at the home of the head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak. In response to journalists’ questions, Yermak assured that “there are no obstacles for the investigators.” At the same time, the details of the case in which the searches took place and Yermak’s status were not officially disclosed. According to media reports, he has not received any suspicions.
On the same day, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Andriy Yermak had submitted his resignation as head of the President’s Office. The President thanked him for his work and emphasized the importance of transparency regarding personnel decisions, “to avoid rumors and speculation.”
Earlier, a member of parliament from the Servant of the People faction, Bohdan Kytsak, stated on the air of one of the Ukrainian media outlets that, according to his information, the most likely candidate for the position of head of the President’s Office at the moment is Mykhailo Fedorov.