Kyrylo Budanov
Photo: Oleg Horniy, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- Oct 8
Zelensky leads hypothetical Ukrainian vote at 22.9%, Zaluzhny follows at 20.2% in Rating poll
A Rating Group survey of 1,000 Ukrainians, conducted 3 to 5 October, put President Volodymyr Zelensky first and former commander-in-chief Valeriy Zaluzhny second in a hypothetical first round. Ukraine's Constitution suspends elections under martial law.
- Oct 6
Fourteen recipients return Polish state honors to Karol Nawrocki in his first year
Fourteen individuals returned state decorations awarded between 1984 and 2026 during Karol Nawrocki's first presidential year, with several senior Ukrainian officials and Polish citizens protesting his decision to revoke Volodymyr Zelensky's Order of the White Eagle.
- Aug 28
Ukraine plans 1,000 daily drone strikes on Russia as military prioritizes air operations
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a plan to scale uncrewed strikes from 300 to 1,000 daily following a military leadership meeting, as Ukraine seeks to hit Russian fuel and logistical infrastructure.
- Aug 28
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visits Moscow for eight-hour talks with Russian security chiefs
CIA Director John Ratcliffe conducted an unannounced eight-hour visit to Moscow on 25 August, meeting Russian intelligence chiefs to deliver warnings on Ukraine, NATO borders, and Middle East security.
- Aug 24
Volodymyr Zelensky rejects wartime elections following appeal from dismissed defence minister
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that organizing elections during the war would divide the country, rebuffing calls from former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
- Aug 7
Zelensky would lose to three rivals in hypothetical runoff, Socis poll finds
A Socis survey of 2,000 Ukrainians shows President Zelensky would lead a hypothetical first round but lose every second-round matchup to Zaluzhnyi, Budanov, and Fedorov, while ranking sixth in personal trust.
- Jul 29
Russia claims 200,000 new volunteers for Ukraine war as Zelenskyy secures Patriot pledge from Trump
Moscow says it met personnel needs without conscription, while Kyiv and Washington agree to revive peace talks and Trump promises Patriot missile licenses.
- Jul 7
At NATO summit, Poland warns Ukraine to tone down emotions after presidential aide warns of 'climax' in bilateral crisis
At a NATO summit in Ankara, Polish officials sharply criticised Ukrainian presidential aide Kyryło Budanow after he warned that bilateral tensions would soon reach a climax, particularly around the 11 July anniversary of the Volhynia massacre. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and National Security Bureau chief Bartosz Grodecki called his remarks irresponsible and urged de-escalation.
- Jun 27
36-year-old Ukrainian detained in Poland for death threats against President Karol Nawrocki amid bilateral tensions
Police in Zielona Góra arrested a 36-year-old Ukrainian man who allegedly threatened to kill President Karol Nawrocki during an online discussion. The detention occurs against a backdrop of deepening Polish-Ukrainian diplomatic friction over historical memory.
- Jun 27
Poland strips Zelensky of top award after UPA unit name, Kyiv warns relations could worsen
Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Volodymyr Zelensky's Order of the White Eagle on 19 June, triggering a cascade of medal returns and warnings from Kyiv that bilateral ties could deteriorate further.
- Jun 22
Zelenskyy accuses Nawrocki of playing politics after Poland revokes top order over UPA unit name
Ukrainian president says the revocation is 'solely an electoral process' and compares the Polish leader to Viktor Orbán, as Kyiv officials renounce their own Polish awards en masse.
- Jun 11
Over half of Poles say Zelenskyy's UPA unit naming worsened their view of Ukraine, poll finds
A SW Research poll for Rzeczpospolita shows 51.9% of Polish respondents say their attitude toward Ukraine and Ukrainians worsened after President Zelenskyy named a military unit after the UPA, an organisation responsible for the Volhynia massacres.
- Jun 8
Poland's president moves to strip Zelensky of Order of the White Eagle, Tusk urges direct talks
President Karol Nawrocki asked the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle on Monday to consider revoking Volodymyr Zelensky's highest Polish state decoration, awarded in 2023, after the Ukrainian leader named a military unit after the UPA. Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly called on both presidents to hold direct talks, warning that emotions could destroy Polish-Ukrainian solidarity.
- Jun 7
Poland confronts Ukraine's envoy over military unit named after WWII nationalist army
Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to President Zelenskyy, faced a wall of Polish anger in Warsaw on Saturday over the naming of a Ukrainian special forces unit after the UPA, a group Poland holds responsible for the wartime massacre of Poles.
