Office of the President of Ukraine
Staff office supporting Ukraine's President; headed by Kyrylo Budanov since 2 January 2026.
The Office of the President of Ukraine's head, Kyrylo Budanov, joined Kyiv's delegation at the Miami talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which ended on 9 October 2026 after one of two planned days.
Last refreshed: 12 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What does Kyrylo Budanov's move to the President's office mean for Kyiv's talks?
Timeline for Office of the President of Ukraine
Mentioned in: Witkoff's Miami talks end a day early
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Background
The Office of the President of Ukraine is the staff that supports Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kyrylo Budanov has headed it since 2 January 2026, and in October 2026 he joined Kyiv's delegation at talks with US envoys in Miami.
Zelenskyy appointed Budanov, until then head of military intelligence, by Decree No. 5/2026, and in the same reshuffle moved Oleh Ivashchenko from foreign intelligence to military intelligence. Budanov succeeded Andriy Yermak, WHO resigned and was dismissed on 28 November 2025, the day anti-corruption investigators from NABU and SAPO searched his home.
The office's head is among the president's closest aides, and under both Yermak and Budanov the POST has carried a seat in Kyiv's diplomacy. Budanov's presence in Miami alongside the head of foreign intelligence put that role on show.
The President's chief of staff joins negotiators
Budanov's place in Miami put the head of the President's staff directly into the talks with Washington. The Miami meeting ran only one of its two planned days, closing on 9 October, and Budanov sat on Kyiv's side alongside Rustem Umerov, Davyd Arakhamiia and Sergiy Kyslytsya.
Axios reported that the envoys warned Washington could limit Kyiv's access to US intelligence over its refinery strikes. Budanov ran military intelligence until January, so the office's chief arrived knowing the intelligence relationship now under threat. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 4 October, Washington also wants three-way technical talks with Moscow before October ends, with the UAE floated as host, so the office's next negotiating round may come within weeks.
Who is the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine?
Why did Andriy Yermak resign?
What happened at the Miami talks with Witkoff and Kushner?
