Zelenskiy’s Top Aide Resigns After Ukraine Anti-Graft Raid
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Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine,
Photographer: Julia Kochetova/Bloomberg
Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s lead peace negotiator, resigned after anti-corruption authorities searched his apartment. It’s a major blow to Zelenskiy, whose administration is reeling from a graft scandal and coming under pressure in US-led peace talks.
Zelenskiy said in a video posted on Telegram that he will hold consultations on Saturday with potential candidates to replace Yermak, his top aide. The president didn’t elaborate on his chief of staff’s decision. “There will be a reboot of the Office of the President of Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said.
Ukraine’s Western allies have pushed Zelenskiy to rein in corruption, and the country’s anti-graft agencies were set up on their insistence. Yermak’s departure compounds the difficulties facing Zelenskiy, who is seeking to navigate US President Donald Trump’s push to end the war with a peace plan that demands painful concessions by Ukraine.