Zelenskiy offers chief of staff post to military intelligence boss Budanov

KYIV, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he had offered the powerful position of presidential chief of staff to the country's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.

If accepted, Budanov would replace longtime Zelenskiy confidante Andriy Yermak, who quit in November amid a corruption scandal that has fuelled public anger over persistent high-level graft even as Ukraine fights for survival against Russia.

Yermak, who was also Kyiv's lead negotiator in U.S.-backed peace talks, has not been named a suspect in the investigation of a $100 million kickback scheme in the energy sector.

"At this time, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defence and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations, and the Office of the President will primarily serve the fulfillment of these tasks of our state," Zelenskiy said on X.

"Kyrylo has specialised experience in these areas and sufficient strength to deliver results," he added.

The decree appointing the 39-year-old general has not yet been published.

Budanov has run the GUR military intelligence since being appointed to the post by Zelenskiy in August 2020.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, he has been involved in prisoner exchanges and has served as chairman of a body coordinating treatment of prisoners of war.

He has been decorated as a "Hero of Ukraine" and has repeatedly participated in special operations.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Toby Chopra and Gareth Jones)