Moscow's reaction after the resignation of Andrii Yermak: Ukraine in a “deep political crisis caused by corruption scandals”
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian presidency (Photo source: Kommersant Photo Agency / ddp USA / Profimedia)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the resignation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff showed that the country was in a “deep political crisis”, reports Reuters.
“Events are taking place in Kiev that reflect a deep political crisis caused by corruption scandals,” Peskov told reporters, as quoted by Russian news agency TASS.
“I don't think anyone needs to give an answer at this point to the question of what this will ultimately lead to,” the Kremlin representative added.
The scandal in Ukraine “is not over yet”, claims another Russian official
The situation was also commented on by Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the international affairs committee of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, who told TASS that “Yermak's resignation is an obvious consequence of the corruption scandal in Ukraine, which has not yet culminated.”
“It is up to the investigators to investigate his possible involvement in corruption schemes and draw the relevant conclusions,” continued the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR).
Andrii Iermak resigned from the position of head of the Ukrainian presidential cabinet, on Friday, in the context of the searches that targeted him. The case investigates an alleged $100 million bribery scheme at the state-run atomic energy company Energoatom involving former senior officials and Zelenski's former business partner Timur Mindich, who prosecutors say is the leader of the group.
Leonid Slutsky recalled that Yermak led the Ukrainian negotiating team during the talks with Russia.
“We hope that his removal will not affect any process within Istanbul-2,” Slutki added.
Istanbul hosted three rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia between May and July, but the meetings produced only large-scale prisoner exchanges, according to AFP.
“We are ready to discuss the proposals of the American side on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict and work to sign the relevant documents with the legitimate representatives of Ukraine,” the chairman of the State Duma's international affairs committee also said.
“At this stage, we are only negotiating with the Americans”
Speaking in turn about the negotiations on the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin spokesman said that currently Russia is engaged in talks only with the US.
“At this stage, we are negotiating only with the Americans,” Peskov said in an interview with Channel One.
He claims that European Parliament resolutions calling for Europe to be invited to the negotiating table are irrelevant at this point. “No, there is definitely no point in considering them at the moment,” Peskov said.
“Since we are now talking about Trump's peace mission, we are preparing precisely for these contacts,” said the Russian president's spokesman.
