Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced the resignation of his powerful Chief of Staff, Andrii Yermak, marking a seismic shift in Kyiv’s leadership amidst a widening corruption scandal. The announcement came late Friday, just hours after Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) conducted high-profile raids on Yermak’s home and office.
Yermak, widely considered the second most powerful figure in Ukraine and Zelensky’s closest confidant, had been serving as the country’s lead negotiator in critical peace talks with the United States. His resignation follows allegations implicating him and other top officials in a scheme to siphon off funds earmarked for protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from Russian attacks.
“I am grateful to Andriy for ensuring that Ukraine’s position in the negotiation track has always been represented by him exactly as it should be,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “It has always been a patriotic position. But I want there to be no rumors or speculation.” The President added that consultations for a new head of office would begin immediately, emphasizing the need for “internal strength” during this perilous moment for the nation.
The resignation comes at a particularly vulnerable time for Kyiv. Yermak had just returned from Geneva, where he was leading negotiations with U.S. officials on a controversial “19-point” peace framework. His departure leaves a significant vacuum in Ukraine’s diplomatic and domestic command structure as the country faces intense pressure to make concessions to end the war.
Investigators allege that the corruption scheme involved kickbacks of 10-15% from commercial partners of state-owned energy companies. The probe has already ensnared other high-level figures, including former ministers and business associates of the President. The raids on Yermak’s properties were described as “unprecedented” for a sitting Chief of Staff, signaling that anti-corruption agencies are acting with newfound aggression—possibly under pressure from Western donors demanding accountability.
