Zelenskyy’s closest aide and chief negotiator Yermak quits over a corruption scandal

In an unexpected setback for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak has resigned following a Friday morning raid on his home by anti-corruption investigators probing a $100 million dollar corruption scandal involving top officials in the country.

It was Yermak whom the president recently named to lead crucial negotiations with US President Donald Trump to end the war with Russia. According to reports, the resignation of Yermak—widely regarded as a powerful political operator with significant influence over Kyiv’s decisions since the outbreak of the full-scale war-- is a major embarrassment for Zelenskyy, who has grown increasingly isolated at the top following the earlier departures of several key associates. Multiple reports also say the Ukrainian president has announced a reshuffle of his presidential office after Yermak’s exit.

Yermak’s departure from Team Zelenskyy -- especially at a moment when the Ukrainian leader is under immense pressure from the United States to agree to a peace deal with Russia, with which Ukraine has been locked in conflict since 24 February 2022 -- could hardly have come at a more inopportune time.

Shortly after confirming Yermak’s resignation, Zelenskyy posted a video on X, declaring: “Russia is eager for Ukraine to make mistakes. We won’t make any. Our work goes on. Our struggle goes on. We have no right to fall short, no right to retreat or turn on one another. If we lose our unity, we risk losing everything—ourselves, Ukraine, and our future. We must stand together. We must hold our ground. There is no other choice. There will never be another Ukraine. We defend Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!”

The BBC reported that the corruption scandal has shaken Ukraine for weeks, weakening Zelenskyy’s political standing and jeopardising the country’s negotiating leverage with the US. Two agencies -- the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office -- are probing the corruption case.

Interestingly, in a very recent telephonic interview with The Atlantic, Yermak had said: “Not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory.” He added: “As long as Zelenskyy is president, no one should count on us giving up territory. He will not sign away territory… The constitution prohibits this. Nobody can do that unless they want to go against the Ukrainian constitution and the Ukrainian people.”

Now that Yermak stands tainted in a corruption scandal, the Kremlin is expected to exploit the situation to the hilt in the run-up to negotiations to end the war.