Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov appointed foreign intelligence chief

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to lead the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, according to an official decree published on the presidential website.

Umerov, who previously served as secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, held the defense portfolio from 2023 to 2025. In his security council role, he functioned as Kyiv's chief negotiator in diplomatic discussions involving representatives from the United States and Russia.

The appointment places a prominent diplomatic negotiator and national security official at the helm of the country's external intelligence agency.

Sources: Die Zeit.