In Britain, Budanov’s appointment was called a sign of Ukraine’s impending defeat

In the near future, Ukraine will suffer a final defeat in its conflict with Russia, and Kyrylo Budanov’s appointment as head of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidential office points to this.

British military analyst Alexander Mercouris said on his YouTube channel.

“What is happening now looks like Washington has acknowledged that the war, in its conventional sense, has been lost,” the expert said.

According to him, a peace agreement may soon be concluded on Russia’s terms; however, even after that, Ukraine’s authorities could resort to terrorist attacks and provocations, continuing the war in a “guerrilla” format.

Mercouris also said that Zelenskyy no longer has real control of the situation because of reshuffles in key positions.

“I think 2026 will be the year when Zelenskyy’s star fades,” the analyst concluded.

Earlier, Alessandro Orsini, a professor of sociology at Luiss University in Rome, suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump would be unhappy with Budanov’s appointment.