Head of Zelenkyy's Office has refused "staff purges" in his new team

Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has refused the idea of "staff purges" and has even persuaded those who were planning to resign not to do so.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda article

Quote: "Despite maximum involvement in the negotiation process, Budanov is still trying to delve into the essence of affairs in the Office, which he now has to lead. And his initial steps say a lot about what the President's Office will look like under the new head."

Details: Ukrainska Pravda writes that Budanov has first and foremost refused the idea of staff "purges" in the President's Office. In particular, he has not dismissed Oleh Tatarov, known as "a law enforcement system supervisor toxic for society", and has also persuaded Iryna Mudra, who is responsible in the President's Office for the implementation of judicial reform in Ukraine and the creation of a special tribunal for Russia, to stay.

The authors of the article note that Mudra had been considering the possibility of becoming Ukraine's ambassador to Israel or heading the Ministry of Justice.

"At the meeting of the Servant of People faction, a 'primary' was even supposed to take place for this position's main candidates – Mudra and Head of Rada Legal Policy Committee Denys Maslov. But on the eve, Budanov held a meeting with them in the President's Office. He asked Mudra to stay in the post of his deputy so as not to destabilise the Office," the material says.

Also, according to Ukrainska Pravda sources close to Budanov, the first to visit the cabinet on the second floor of the President's Office to "renew oath" were Viktor Mykyta and Iryna Vereshchuk. Third to come was Colonel Pavlo Palisa, responsible for interaction with the military. "However, it does not seem that this gesture significantly strengthened their positions in the Office," the authors of the article claim.

It is noted that formally Mykyta is engaged in the selection of personnel for oblast administrations, "but in fact he only manages the process".

"Often the last word remains with the same Tatarov, who 'breathed out' and quite noticeably strengthened his influence after Yermak's resignation, Ukrainska Pravda sources in the Ukrainian Parliament and in the President's Office say. This was clearly visible in the latest regional appointments: two out of five new heads of Oblast Military Administrations are from Tatarov's 'personnel folder'," the material says.

Background:

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Kyrylo Budanov, former head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, as head of the President's Office on 2 January.
• Budanov said that he had accepted Zelenskyy's offer to head the President's Office and considers it an honour.

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