Corruption is in the “eye” of a perfect storm in Kyiv – Who will be a negotiator if not Yermak?

Secretary of State Rubio and Yermak (left) at recent talks
Photo: Global Look Press

Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigned on Friday, several hours after investigators from the anti-corruption agency raided his house, axios writes.

Why it matters: This is a political earthquake in the war-torn country and comes amid frantic diplomatic efforts by the Trump administration to push a peace deal to end the war.

Yermak was the most powerful political figure in Ukraine after Zelensky, with influence over domestic politics, military issues and foreign policy.

"This is the perfect storm. There is a lot of uncertainty right now," a Ukrainian official said.

Two Ukrainian officials said Yermak's resignation came a day before he was supposed to travel to Miami for talks with president Trump's team about the peace plan.

Driving the news: Yermak has been at the center of a major corruption scandal that hit the Zelensky administration with allegations of embezzlement from the energy sector.

Members of the opposition demanded Yermak's resignation, though he has not been named in the accusations. Zelensky backed Yermak for several weeks and rejected calls to fire him.

A U.S. official told Axios last week that the scandal could weaken Ukraine's negotiating position with Russia.

What he's saying: Zelensky announced the resignation and said he will reshuffle the president's office and appoint a new chief of staff in the coming days.

What to watch: Yermak headed the Ukrainian negotiations team on a peace deal with Russia. Last weekend he led talks in Geneva with the U.S. delegation headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The talks led the changes in President Trump's 28-point peace plan and resulted in a new 19-point peace plan that the Ukrainians felt better reflected their interests.

A Ukrainian official said that while Yermak's resignation put the negotiations in flux, it will not lead to changes in the Ukrainian position, which has been determined by Zelensky.

EU justice commissioner says Kyiv must clean up politics, as an alleged $100 million corruption inquiry envelops Zelenskyy’s inner circle

Photo: EU

In an interview with POLITICO, European Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath said European governments would not support a candidate country like Ukraine to join the 27-member bloc unless it could prove it had an effective system for rooting out crime at the top of society.

He was speaking in response to questions over an alleged plot to skim around $100 million from Ukraine’s energy sector, as a probe widens to include senior figures close to Zelenskyy and in his government.

“There has to be, in every candidate country, a robust system for dealing with alleged high-level corruption cases,” McGrath said. “You need to have a robust system for investigation and ultimately prosecutions and convictions, and demonstrating a track record of effectiveness in that area is something that we require of all of our own member states, and certainly of those that wish to join the European Union.”

After McGrath made his comments, anti-corruption investigators raided the premises of Zelenskyy’s most powerful adviser, Andriy Yermak, as part of their ongoing inquiry.

The investigation comes at an acutely sensitive time for Ukraine, with U.S. President Donald Trump pushing Zelenskyy to accept a peace deal that could require him to cede land to Russia.

Ukraine is in the process of applying to join the EU, though opposition from Hungary has held up progress. McGrath said “the same standard applies to all candidate countries,” adding that “rule of law and justice reforms are at the heart of the accession process.”

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