At a critical moment, Ukraine lost its chief negotiator as Zelensky dismissed the head of the Ukrainian presidential office involved in a corruption case.

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As the domestic anti-corruption investigation continues to expand, Ukrainian President Zelensky has dismissed Andriy Yermak, chief of staff of the Presidential Office and a core adviser. This is the most significant personnel change in the Ukrainian government since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, marking Zelensky's anti-corruption stance under Western and domestic pressure, and causing Ukraine to lose its chief negotiator at a critical moment in negotiations.

According to CCTV News, on Friday, November 28 local time, Zelensky signed a presidential decree removing Yermak from his post. Earlier that day, Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies searched Yermak's residence. In a video speech, Zelensky said, "The Presidential Office of Ukraine will undergo a reorganization," and thanked Yermak for "always representing Ukraine's position as he should in negotiations, always maintaining a patriotic stance," but he emphasized, "I hope there will be no rumors or speculation from the outside world."

54-year-old Yermak has been a close friend of Zelensky since before his political career began, and has always led Ukraine's negotiation team. Just last weekend, he met with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio in Geneva. Yermak's departure comes at a critical moment, as a U.S. delegation led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is scheduled to arrive in Kyiv in the coming days to launch a new round of ceasefire negotiations.

Yermak's resignation highlights the stalemate between the core circle of the Ukrainian president and anti-corruption agencies. Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics and former economy minister, said this was "the right decision" and shows a commitment to transparency but also noted, "Yermak is very experienced; replacing him is difficult, especially at a crucial stage of negotiations."

Key Figure Suddenly Resigns

Yermak amassed extraordinary influence within Zelensky’s government. The two met in the early 2010s in the entertainment industry, when Zelensky was a comedian and TV producer and Yermak was an entertainment lawyer. After Zelensky was elected president in 2019, Yermak was appointed as a senior adviser and promoted to chief of staff in February 2020.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Yermak played a key role in the government, from appointing ministers to negotiating with foreign governments. Media reports citing people close to the presidential office said Yermak often accompanied Zelensky on key overseas visits. In photos, he is usually seen standing next to Zelensky, tall and often wearing the same military-style dark green attire as the president.

Former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said, "People respected Yermak because they knew he was powerful and knew Zelensky would listen to his advice. But people didn't necessarily like him because he is very difficult to work with—very, very demanding and aggressive." U.S. media cited former Biden administration officials as saying that Yermak was called the "fixer" inside, believing his influence extended to all aspects of Ukraine’s governance.

Impact at a Critical Moment of Negotiation

Yermak’s departure has a direct impact on Ukrainian diplomacy. Last week, the Trump administration proposed a 28-point roadmap to end the war, containing several points that made Ukraine uneasy. According to the Wall Street Journal, Yermak led a cautious opposition to the plan, and Ukrainian and European officials successfully persuaded the United States to revise the proposal.

During last weekend’s meeting with Rubio in Geneva, Yermak demonstrated his negotiation skills. Rubio said the meeting was “possibly our best meeting and day throughout this whole process, tracing back to when we first started in January.” Volker commented, “The Trump team is very challenging for Ukraine to deal with; I think Yermak managed the situation of ‘okay, this is the U.S. we’re dealing with now, so we must work with them’ better than anyone.”

Zelensky stated that he would speak with potential candidates for Yermak’s replacement on Saturday. He noted that the Ukrainian delegation that will soon meet with the U.S. team will include the Chief of General Staff, representatives from the Foreign Ministry, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and representatives of intelligence agencies. Russian Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is closely monitoring the situation, "Corruption scandals and the resulting political uncertainty are growing rapidly, and it is now difficult to predict what will happen next."

Expanding Anti-Corruption Investigation

According to CCTV News, earlier on November 28, Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies searched Yermak's residence. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office issued a joint statement saying this search was "authorized" and related to an unspecified investigation. Yermak said he was "fully cooperating with the investigation" and that investigators "encountered no obstacles" and were granted full access to the apartment.

Neither Yermak nor Zelensky have been accused of wrongdoing, but the investigation clearly shows the intensifying wave of domestic anti-corruption cases in Ukraine.

Earlier this month, two Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies announced a full investigation into a suspected $100 million bribery case related to Ukraine's state atomic energy company. According to CCTV News, the anti-corruption agency's findings published on November 10 indicate that a "large criminal group" made up of current and former officials of the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and businessmen is suspected of money laundering and illegal enrichment, with nearly $100 million in money laundering already identified.

The exposure of this corruption case has led to the dismissals of the Ukrainian justice minister and energy minister. The case has also implicated Zelensky's former business partner Timur Mindich and former vice-premier Oleksiy Chernyshov, although the latter denies any wrongdoing. According to the Wall Street Journal, in recent weeks, members of the Ukrainian parliament—including some from Zelensky’s own party—have been demanding the dismissal of Yermak. Many are dissatisfied with the enormous power he accumulated, believing that he either knew about the kickback scheme or should have.

Anti-Corruption Commitment Under Western Pressure

Pushing forward with anti-corruption work is a core requirement of the EU for Ukraine’s application for membership. Zelensky came to power in 2019 on a promise to uproot corruption, but his wartime leadership has recently been impacted by doubts over his anti-corruption efforts. According to Bloomberg, Yermak’s resignation highlights the impasse between the president's core circle and anti-corruption agencies, which were established at the insistence of Western supporters in Kyiv.

European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said these investigations "show that Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies are performing their duties." International organizations have previously praised the Zelensky administration's anti-corruption efforts, including the fact that even senior state officials are no longer above the law.

Daria Kaleniuk, co-founder of the NGO Anti-Corruption Action Center, said Yermak's dismissal is an important step for Zelensky and Ukraine: "It's what the entire country expects from Zelensky. This gives him a chance to govern Ukraine more powerfully in all these negotiations, while also making us stronger from within."

Mykyta Poturaiev, a member of Zelensky’s party, acknowledged that removing the chief negotiator carries risks, but added, "On the other hand, there are other risks."

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