This is the end of the era of Zelensky's right hand. Yermak, Ukraine's chief negotiator, resigned

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that the head of his office, Andriy Yermak, whose name appears in the investigation into the corruption scandal, resigned. I don't want anyone to have any questions for Ukraine, emphasized the head of state.

Head of the office of the President of Ukraine was scheduled to arrive in Miami, Florida, on Saturday to talk with representatives of the US president Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about the peace plan for Ukraine – Axios reported on Friday.

– That is why further internal decisions were made today. First, there will be changes in the Office of the President of Ukraine. The head of the bureau, Andriy Yermak, has written a letter of resignation, Zelensky said in a video.

He announced consultations with candidates for the new heads of his administration on Saturday. – Tomorrow I will hold consultations with people who may head this institution – he announced.

Yermak was investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in connection with an investigation into corruption under the code name “Midas”. NABU and SAP (Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) conducted a search at Yermak's apartment on Friday.

Zelensky noted that Yermak represented the country with dignity in talks on a peace plan in the ongoing war with Russia. – He always presented (in these conversations – PAP) a patriotic position. But I want there to be no rumors or speculation,” he said.

Information about the entry of anti-corruption services into Yermak's apartment was reported on Friday morning by the Ukrainska Pravda website. Jermak himself confirmed that searches were taking place and declared his cooperation with the investigation.

The media and experts suspect that Yermak is behind the pseudonym Ali Baba, who appears in the investigation into the “Midas” scandal.. No charges have been brought against the former head of the presidential administration as of Friday.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, Yermak was personally involved in the preparation of the draft law on NABU, which appeared in July and caused mass protests in connection with attempts to limit the competences of this institution.

Yermak was supposed to negotiate in the USA on Saturday

The portal wrote, citing two Ukrainian officials, that the conversation was to take place before Witkoff and Kushner left for Moscow, where they were to meet Vladimir Putin.

Axios described the situation around Yermak as a “political earthquake” that comes “amid the Trump administration's frantic diplomatic efforts to push through a peace agreement to end the war.”

– This is Armageddon. There is a lot of uncertainty, said one of the Ukrainian officials, quoted by Axios.

Who will replace him?

In the next round of negotiations on a peace plan aimed at ending Russia's war with Ukraine, the latter will be represented by the Chief of the General Staff, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, as well as envoys of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and intelligence. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

The head of state appeared in a recording in which he announced that he had accepted the resignation of the head of his office, Andriy Yermak, who had previously been the head of the Ukrainian delegation to these talks. Jermak is under investigation for a corruption scandal at the top of the government, and his apartment was searched on Friday.

– Talks will take place soon, and our representatives will be there – the Chief of the General Staff (Andriy Hnatov), ​​representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (Rustem Umerov) and our intelligence service – Zelensky said in his speech.

He appealed to society for unity and internal strength. – Everyone must now act like this – in the interest of our state – and defend our state. This is an immutable rule. Meetings with the American side will be held soon, said the President of Ukraine.

The corruption scandal broke out on November 10

On November 10, NABU and SAP disclosed information about the participants in the extensive corruption system in the energy sector. They collected bribes ranging from 10 to 15 percent from contractors of Enerhoatom, the state operator of nuclear power plants. contract values. Illegal means were to be legalized by the so-called back office in the center of Kiev, through which – as it was determined – approximately USD 100 million passed through.

Five people were detained and seven others were charged. The name of Tymur Mindicz, a businessman and a close associate of Zelensky, also appears in the investigation. He is considered the organizer of the entire procedure. He went abroad a few hours before the searches of the participants of the scandal.

The proceedings into the corruption scandal began on August 21 on the basis of articles of the Criminal Code regarding the creation and management of a criminal group, laundering of high-value funds obtained in violation of the law, and influencing members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to make decisions in violation of the law. The investigation has been ongoing for several months (it started in 2024).

Due to the scandal, on November 19, the Ukrainian parliament voted to dismiss the Minister of Justice, and previously the Minister of Energy, Herman Halushchenko, and the then head of the latter ministry, Svitlana Hrynchuk. Their names also appear in the NABU investigation.

From Kiev Jarosław Junko (PAP)

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