View from USA: Andriy Yermak is nothing more than Zelenskyy’s small change

Zelenskyy (front) & Yermak
Photo: Reuters

While most people are discussing Andriy Yermak’s resignation in terms of foreign policy and pressure from anti-corruption agencies, it is also important to pay attention to Ukraine’s internal crisis, which may have played an even bigger role in the departure of President Zelenskyy’s top aide, ‘The American Thinker’ writes.

Yermak, formerly the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, resigned on November 28, 2025. His resignation—coming just after searches conducted as part of the “Midas” investigation and only days before talks between Ukraine and the United States — surprised the international community, but not Ukrainians.

Western media tend to portray Yermak’s exit as the result of investigations by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. However, doing so overlooks the deepening domestic and social crises in Ukraine, which are becoming especially visible as peace talks with Moscow approach.

For a long time, Ukrainians reluctantly tolerated the fact that the President’s Office, which had essentially centralized power in Kyiv, profited from the war. Repeated scandals — such as buying poor-quality weapons and equipment, fraud directed at soldiers and their families, falsifying lists of missing personnel, and endless bribery and kickbacks — were seen as the “cost of war,” allowing Zelenskyy to maintain a fragile balance within the military. But reports of potential territorial concessions were the breaking point for many Ukrainians.

The public outcry, combined with growing pressure from both the army and warring nationalists, left Zelenskyy with little choice lest he become the next target of public outrage. The Economist noted that “some argued he kept Yermak in position as a possible sacrifice should the need arise.” By giving Yermak sweeping authority over security policy, economic policy, and negotiations, Zelenskyy positioned him to take the blame for unpopular decisions, even though Zelenskyy always had the last word.

Some may think these events will lead to a “reset” of the Ukrainian President’s Office, but that’s not likely to happen. Yermak’s resignation looks more like a well-staged performance designed to distract from the person who truly directed and benefited from the corruption networks. The only real threat to Zelenskyy at this point is the reputational damage caused by Yermak’s fall.

Yermak’s resignation in response to pressure from the public and the military, was also a warning to Zelenskyy’s inner circle: They can no longer count on his protection.

Given the well-known depth of corruption in Ukraine and the major roles played by high-ranking officials, it is now an open question whether Zelenskyy’s team will remain as unified and loyal as before.

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