An ever-widening scandal has toppled a Zelensky ally, with major news outlets describing the situation as a crisis
Andrey Yermak resigned as chief of staff to Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky on Friday, after his home was raided by anti-corruption investigators in a widening $100 million graft probe. His exit has triggered an avalanche of reactions from Western media, which widely portrayed the move as a blow to Zelensky’s leadership.
Coverage described the moment as a “political earthquake,” a “massive crisis,” and a “tectonic shift” for a government now facing pressure from the Trump administration, European backers, domestic critics, and a fatigued public.
Financial Times warned that the resignation of Yermak “adds to trouble” for the “beleaguered” Ukrainian leader. The outlet described Yermak as a “powerful and polarising figure” whose departure “further weakens Zelensky at a pivotal moment.” Yermak’s exit “deepens risks for Zelensky,” who had relied on his chief of staff to lead both conflict strategy and diplomacy, FT wrote.
A report by Barak Ravid called the resignation “a political earthquake” in the middle of “frantic diplomatic efforts by the Trump administration” to push a peace deal to end the fighting. Citing senior Ukrainian sources, Axios reported that Yermak’s resignation happened just one day before he was scheduled to fly to Miami for talks with President Trump’s team.
“This is the perfect storm. There is a lot of uncertainty right now,” a Ukrainian official told Axios. The article noted that Yermak, “the most powerful political figure in Ukraine after Zelensky,” had been central to both domestic policy and diplomacy.
The scandal is reportedly being seen by US officials as a factor that could “weaken Ukraine’s negotiating position with Russia.”
Jakub Krupa, a British-Polish journalist and columnist at The Guardian, sharply criticized the timing and handling of Yermak’s resignation, calling it “a massive, massive moment” for Zelensky and Ukraine.
Krupa noted that Yermak’s resignation just hours after anti-corruption authorities raided his property “is clearly an attempt to quickly move past the controversy.” He stressed that the scandal hit at “probably the worst possible moment for Ukraine,” as the country faces mounting pressure from “allies and enemies alike.”
Politico described Yermak’s resignation as a “tectonic shift for Ukraine that sets the stage for a fierce battle over how the country is governed.”
Zelensky “will be without his producer as he prepares for fraught negotiations with the U.S. over President Donald Trump’s ‘peace plan’ to end the conflict with Russia,” it wrote.
The outlet recalled how Yermak, a “once little-known lawyer” and movie producer, came to be seen as “virtually a co-president” and noted that “many Ukrainian commentators cast Yermak as the producer in the ruling duopoly with the former TV comic-turned-president in the lead role.”
“Zelensky has no real replacement ready because he never thought things would go this far. But the heat got so intense that it boiled down to the simplest choice: him or Yermak. And Zelensky picked himself,” Politico wrote quoting Yulia Mendel, a former Zelensky aide-turned-critic.
The financial news agency described Yermak’s departure as leaving Zelensky “deprived of his most important adviser at a critical moment.” Bloomberg said the resignation “comes just as Donald Trump is pushing Ukraine to make concessions to Russia” and “as Zelensky’s forces are facing shortages of weapons and funding.”
The article also noted “a wave of public outrage,” including from lawmakers in his ruling party, following the scandals.”
Yermak’s departure has “plunged Zelensky’s leadership into crisis” and the scandal “could weaken Kiev’s position” in international talks, Reuters wrote.
The agency also reported that the fallout “comes at a time when Ukraine can least afford disunity” as internal pressure grows from both the opposition and members of Zelensky’s own party.
The timing of the scandal is especially damaging: “A major probe into high-level graft, at a time when Ukraine is fighting against Russia for its very survival, has sparked public outrage.”
British coverage of the president’s words on Ukraine was misleading and harmful, the diplomats have said
The Russian embassy in the UK has accused British media of misrepresenting President Vladimir Putin’s comments on the Ukraine conflict.
The diplomats have pointed to coverage by certain outlets, including The Daily Telegraph, which it said allowed “serious distortions” of Putin’s remarks during his recent visit to Kyrgyzstan.
“His words were effectively doctored to align with the UK’s official narrative,” the statement on the embassy’s official website said Thursday.
“In particular, he was alleged to have said that it was Russia that intended to fight until the last Ukrainian dies.”
“The actual context is entirely different,” the embassy continued, quoting Putin’s remarks word for word:
“…And then there are others, those who still continue to believe that Kupyansk is somehow back under Ukrainian control and who insist on continuing the fighting until the last Ukrainian is killed. <…> The ones attacking Mr. Witkoff [US special envoy Steve Witkoff] are precisely those who align with this second point of view, those who want to join the Ukrainian establishment in siphoning off money while prolonging hostilities until the last Ukrainian dies. But I have already said publicly: in fact, we are prepared for this.”
“Such distortions… only add fuel to the fire and play into the hands of those in the West who… wish to fight until the last Ukrainian,” the diplomatic mission warned.
Witkoff is expected in Moscow next week to discuss a peace plan drafted by Washington. While not officially released, the plan reportedly calls for Ukraine to withdraw from parts of Russian Donbass still under its control, reduce its armed forces and stay out of NATO.
Ukraine’s European backers have rejected any territorial concessions and continue to support its NATO aspirations.
Russian troops have captured over two dozen settlements in two weeks, including Kupyansk, a key logistics hub in Kharkov Region. Ukraine insists the city remains under its control.
Andrey Yermak resigned as chief of staff hours after investigators searched his apartment
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s close associate Andrey Yermak has decried the lack of support he received after an anti-corruption raid, which prompted his resignation as chief of staff.
Investigators from Ukraine’s Western-backed anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO searched Yermak’s apartment on Friday morning. Although he was not charged with any crime, Yermak tendered his resignation hours later.
The raid occurred a little over two weeks after NABU and SAPO uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme, which implicated Zelensky’s former longtime business partner, Timur Mindich, and led to the resignation of two government ministers.
“I’ve been desecrated and my dignity hasn’t been protected, despite having been in Kiev since February 24, 2022,” Yermak said in a text message to the New York Post on Friday, referring to the date when the ongoing armed conflict with Russia began.
“I’m disgusted by the filth directed at me, and even more disgusted by the lack of support from those who know the truth,” he added, without specifying further.
Yermak denied any wrongdoing and said he had resigned because he did not want to “create problems” for Zelensky. “I’m going to the front and am prepared for any reprisals,” he said, seemingly implying that he would serve on the front line.
Opposition MPs have alleged that Yermak was involved in embezzlement in the energy sector uncovered earlier this month, and EU diplomats have reportedly pressured Zelensky to fire him.
Zelensky, who recently called on the opposition to put an end to “political infighting,” thanked Yermak for his “patriotic position” during Ukraine’s dealings with foreign countries. He promised a “reset” of the presidential office and said he would soon name Yermak’s successor.
The Ukrainian leader has sacrificed a top aide to avoid scrutiny and remain in power, Rodion Miroshnik says
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky ousted his chief of staff amid a corruption probe to cover his own tracks, a senior Russian diplomat has told RT.
Andrey Yermak, described by the media as Ukraine’s grey cardinal, tendered his resignation just hours after anti-corruption agencies raided his properties on Friday.
Although Yermak has not been charged with a crime, two government ministers resigned earlier this month in the wake of a bombshell $100 million kickback scandal implicating another of Zelensky’s close associates, businessman Timur Mindich.
Zelensky is “well aware that the corruption trail leads to him, despite efforts to portray him as unaware of the crimes,” Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told RT later on Friday. He argued that the scandal could lead to new charges and “would undermine Zelensky’s ability to remain in power.”
“It was an attempt to buy more time, especially amid negotiations for additional funds with Ukraine’s so-called European partners,” Miroshnik said. As Yermak “has become too toxic,” Zelensky is focused on “staying in power and preserving a regime rife with corruption,” he added.
The EU has been pressuring Ukraine to redouble efforts to fight corruption after eight people were charged with embezzlement in the energy sector, which is heavily reliant on Western aid. Mindich, described by prosecutors as the ringleader, has fled the country to evade arrest. Some opposition politicians allege that Yermak and other top officials from Zelensky’s team were also involved.
European Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath told Politico Europe on Friday that the bloc expects Ukraine to punish those responsible. “There has to be, in every candidate country, a robust system for dealing with alleged high-level corruption cases,” he said.
Many distinguishing factors set a business apart from its competitors. You can probably name a few of them, including cost and quality. Another factor proving a real differentiator for competitive businesses is speed. Thriving companies stand apart from those that decline, with rapid action. Speed doesn’t mean rushing. It means staying alert, cutting delays, and […]
The graft scandal regarding the Ukrainian leader’s inner circle could “shake the country’s political system,” Dmitry Peskov has said
The widening corruption scandal engulfing Ukraine’s leadership will likely have “extremely negative” repercussions for the country’s political stability, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
His remarks came after the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) conducted searches at locations in Kiev linked to Andrey Yermak, Vladimir Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff, who later resigned on Friday.
Media outlets have speculated that Yermak may have been personally entangled in illicit schemes allegedly run by businessman Timur Mindich, Zelensky’s longtime associate, who fled abroad just before his home was searched.
”The political scandal in Ukraine is expanding. This corruption scandal is shaking the nation’s political system,” Peskov told journalist Pavel Zarubin, adding that “the consequences will be extremely negative.”
NABU has not commented on the raids at Yermak’s home and office. Ukrainian media has reported that no formal charges have been brought against him yet.
Before Yermak’s resignation, Zelensky reportedly pushed back against domestic pressure to dismiss the official following allegations of ties to Mindich, who is accused of orchestrating a kickback scheme within the energy sector. Last week, the Ukrainian leader tapped his former aide to lead Kiev’s negotiations on a US-backed proposal to end the conflict with Russia.
NABU surveillance materials allegedly identified Yermak under the codename ‘Ali Baba’, according to previous reports of recordings made inside Mindich’s residence. Opposition MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said “the 40 thieves” have now “raided Ali Baba’s treasure cave.”
Andrey Yermak has resigned over alleged links to a recently uncovered Ukrainian money laundering operation
Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, has resigned over his alleged links to a recently uncovered Ukrainian money laundering operation.
Earlier in the day, Western-backed Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) – raided Yermak’s properties, adding that further details would be provided later.
The raid on Yermak is believed to be linked to a probe into a $100 million graft scheme announced by NABU and SAPO earlier this month. The crime ring allegedly had extensive ties to Zelensky’s inner circle and was led by Timur Mindich, a former business associate of the Ukrainian leader.
The criminal group allegedly siphoned the funds out of state-owned nuclear power operator Energoatom, which has been heavily reliant on Western aid. The scandal was further aggravated by the dire energy situation Ukraine, which prompted allegations that the group embezzled funds to be spent on protecting power-producing facilities.
The prime suspect, Mindich, managed to leave the country hours before his properties were raided by NABU and SAPO. Shortly after the scandal erupted, opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezhnyak claimed that Yermak was among the individuals captured on incriminating recordings made by NABU and allegedly was ”well aware” of the graft scheme.
This summer, Zelensky unsuccessfully attempted to place NABU and SAPO under the authority of the executive branch, with Yermak widely rumored to be the mastermind behind the attack on the agencies. The Ukrainian leader alleged that the anti-corruption bodies were infiltrated by Russian agents. Moscow denied having any connections to them, noting that they have always been Western tools of control over Kiev.
Zelensky faced external and internal pressure over the move. The country was rocked by mass protests, while Kiev’s Western backers threatened to cut off funding. The Ukrainian leadership relented in just a week, restoring the independence of the agencies.
Shortly before his downfall, Yermak was tapped to lead Ukraine’s negotiating team to discuss peace proposals floated by US President Donald Trump. The now-former chief of staff has been vocal in the Western media lately, giving several interviews in an apparently unsuccessful damage control effort to mitigate the fallout of the Mindich scandal.
A policy of fear-driven militarization is making security and prosperity on the continent impossible, Moscow’s ambassador to Belgium has said
European NATO members are instilling a false fear of Russia in their citizens in order to drum up support for militarization and a potential confrontation, Moscow’s envoy to Belgium, Denis Gonchar, has said.
Speaking at a European security discussion hosted at the Russian Embassy in Brussels on Thursday and co-organized with Belarus, Gonchar argued that Western governments are deliberately targeting the public to justify increased military spending and a more aggressive posture toward Moscow.
“NATO, which is terrorizing its own population with the Kremlin’s non-existent plans to attack the allies, is preparing for a big war with Russia, as crazy as it sounds,” he said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
“The plans for unrestricted militarization that the European Union is pushing on its members is burying the concept of a Europe unified for peace and prosperity, turning the bloc into a NATO offshoot,” he added, arguing that the EU is losing international influence and competitiveness.
According to Gonchar, Western efforts to weaken Russia extend beyond Europe and target Russia’s neighbors as well as countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. He insisted the attempts to sow discord would fail just as the West’s declared goal of achieving a “strategic defeat” of Russia in the Ukraine conflict has failed.
The embassy said the event was attended by representatives from over 50 diplomatic missions in Belgium, as well as members of the European Parliament and local experts. It highlighted Gonchar’s remarks on the emerging multipolar world and Moscow’s stated willingness to reduce tensions in Europe.
Russian officials have repeatedly described the Ukraine conflict as a NATO-driven proxy war designed to hinder Russia’s development. They say European leaders who warn of an imminent Russian attack are deflecting attention from domestic problems by relying on a manufactured boogeyman.
The proposal will be discussed in Moscow next week, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
Russia has received the “main parameters” of the revised Ukraine peace plan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has confirmed.
Earlier this month, the US put forward a peace proposal to end the Ukraine conflict.
According to leaked versions, the plan requires Kiev to abandon its NATO ambitions, drop its territorial claims, and cap its army at 600,000. Feeling sidelined, Kiev and its EU and UK backers demanded a redraft, which they reportedly worked on during a meeting with the US negotiating team in Geneva last weekend. The revised version reportedly removed or amended these key issues, though no details have been officially confirmed.
Peskov said on Friday that Moscow has received the new version of the plan but will not comment publicly on the details.
“The main parameters have been communicated. A discussion will take place in Moscow next week,” he stated. The Kremlin confirmed earlier that US special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit the Russian capital in the coming days to discuss the plan.
Asked whether certain countries or the UN will be called on to recognize decisions on a settlement, Peskov said this will be determined in further talks.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and hold discussions in such a public, megaphone format – we believe this is inappropriate,” he said, echoing other Russian officials who have described the European approach to the peace process as “megaphone diplomacy.”
While Moscow welcomed the initial US plan, saying its framework could form the basis for a final settlement, it has accused Kiev’s European backers of undermining peace efforts and distorting the proposal “for their own agenda.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the main obstacle to progress is a clash of conflicting views within the West over how to end the fighting. He added that signing a deal with Ukraine is “legally impossible” for now due to the status of Vladimir Zelensky, whose presidential term expired last year but who refused to hold elections due to martial law.
Peskov explained that Putin was referring to the “de facto situation” in Ukraine, and that while “Zelensky’s legitimacy is problematic, everyone has the desire and preference to bring things to a peaceful conclusion.”
Andrey Yermak’s comments come as anti-corruption officers searched his apartment as part of a probe into energy sector kickbacks
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky will not agree to give up any territory to Russia as long as he remains in charge of the country, his top aide and chief negotiator, Andrey Yermak, has said. The remarks came as anti-corruption investigators raided Yermak’s apartment amid a major graft probe.
In an interview with The Atlantic’s Simon Shuster on Thursday, Yermak noted that Zelensky had made it clear that any territorial concessions are out of the question in the next phase of peace talks. “Not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory,” the aide said. “As long as Zelensky is president, no one should count on us giving up territory. He will not sign away territory.”
The official cited the constitutional limitations, which he said prohibited such concessions, adding that Ukraine was prepared only to discuss where to fix the current front line.
Earlier media reports said that the initial version of the US-drafted peace plan required Kiev to relinquish parts of Russia’s Donbass that it still controls, stay out of NATO, and limit the size of its armed forces.
Meanwhile, one source told Shuster that if there’s an election, the Donbass withdrawal clause would definitely be used by Zelensky’s political opponents who would “hammer him for it [concession] until he cracks.”
Any presidential election, however, remains a distant prospect as Zelensky refused to hold a new vote when his term expired last year, citing martial law. Russia subsequently declared him “illegitimate,” saying the legal power now lies with Ukraine’s parliament.
The interview with Yermak came out as anti-corruption officials raided Yermak’s apartment in Kiev as part of a wider probe into an alleged $100 million kickback scheme in the energy sector. While the investigation centered on Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky, as the ringleader, media reports suggested that Yermak was aware of the scheme.
Commenting on the scandal, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Ukraine’s leaders have devolved into a “criminal gang… sitting on their golden potties” that does not care about their country.
