Sipu Jha
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accepted the resignation of his powerful chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, hours after anti-corruption investigators searched his residence inside the presidential compound in Kyiv. Zelenskyy confirmed the resignation on Friday and said he would consider a replacement on Saturday, reported Reuters. The raid was conducted by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which said the searches were authorised but did not disclose the investigation details.Yermak, a long-time confidante of Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s lead negotiator in peace talks with Russia and the United States, said investigators “are facing no obstacles” and that he was cooperating fully, AP reported. His spokesperson Oleksii Tkachuk said Yermak had not been served a notice of suspicion and did not know what the searches related to. Media reports suggested that his office was also searched, though investigators declined to comment.The raid comes amid intense US pressure on Kyiv to reach a settlement nearly four years into Russia’s invasion. It also follows a sweeping probe into an alleged $100 million corruption scandal in the energy sector that has dominated domestic headlines. NABU has previously said the case involves top officials and centres on laundering state contract money, as detailed in background information.Although Yermak has not been accused of wrongdoing, the scandal has shaken Zelenskyy’s government and fuelled anger within his party. Several senior lawmakers argued Yermak should take responsibility to restore public trust, as per AP.Despite political turmoil, Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians to “stop the political games,” warning that “Russia very much wants Ukraine to make mistakes”. Opposition parties also demanded his dismissal, saying peace negotiations “cannot depend on the personal vulnerabilities and tarnished reputation of politicians involved in a corruption scandal.”The investigation has already led to the resignations of two government ministers and scrutiny of figures linked to Yermak, including former deputies investigated for financial misconduct. Multiple officials seen as close to Yermak — including the current prime minister and prosecutor general — have previously been associated with anti-graft inquiries.Yermak, 54, first met Zelenskyy more than 15 years ago when he was a lawyer working in film production. He later joined Zelenskyy’s presidential team as a foreign policy adviser and was appointed chief of staff in 2020. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, he has accompanied Zelenskyy on every foreign trip and has become one of the most influential figures in Kyiv.
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