During his first international visit as chief of staff to Ukraine¡¯s president, Kyrylo Budanov posed for a photo near the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte in Paris.
Budanov is open about his admiration for the early 19th century French emperor and his "extraordinary¡± achievements. As a military campaigner, Napoleon captured Moscow, which was later largely destroyed by fire during French occupation ¡ª a feat with obvious allure for Ukrainians defending against Vladimir Putin¡¯s full-scale invasion for more than four years now.
"As a political figure, too, he accomplished remarkable things,¡± Budanov, 40, said in a rare interview in his dimly lit Kyiv office, a large chess set and a samurai katana sword to one side.
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