German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jäger may be appointed head of BND – media

That is according to Spiegel, Ukrinform reports.

Jäger is expected to succeed Bruno Kahl as president of the BND. The change at the helm of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency is reportedly the result of a decision by Chancellor Merz, as the BND falls directly under the Chancellor's authority.

The German government has not officially confirmed the personnel shift yet. However, Spiegel reports that the decision was made some time ago.

Under the proposed changes, current BND president Bruno Kahl would take up the post of German ambassador to the Vatican.

The media outlet suggests that with Jäger — described as one of the Foreign Ministry’s most experienced crisis diplomats — the BND could undergo significant reforms in the coming years. The intelligence agency may also receive substantially increased funding.

“The federal government also intends to grant the agency more flexibility in foreign espionage and technical intelligence,” the report notes.

Jäger has extensive experience with intelligence operations both in Berlin and in global crisis zones. In addition to various roles within the Foreign Ministry — including as Spokesperson for then-Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier — he served as Ambassador to Afghanistan in 2013, later moved to Iraq, and has headed Germany’s embassy in Kyiv since July 2023.

Jäger’s wide-ranging network, built up over years in both diplomatic and governmental roles — including in the Ministry of the Interior for Baden-Württemberg and in development aid departments in Berlin — may aid in his potential new leadership role at BND. He also has experience in the private sector.

Unlike previous leadership transitions, this is not a dismissal: Kahl himself had expressed interest in moving to Rome as ambassador to the Holy See. During his eight years in office, he weathered several controversies — including criticism in 2021 for underestimating the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, and in 2022 for allegedly failing to warn the government robustly enough about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That same year, a BND agent was exposed for selling classified information to Russian intelligence.

Martin Jäger has served as Germany’s Ambassador to Ukraine since July 2023.

Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa