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Zelensky’s chief of staff has been integral to peace talks with the US
Olivia IrelandFriday 28 November 2025 18:35 GMTComments
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigned on Friday after anti-corruption police raided his home.
The raid is part of an investigation into a $100m (£76m) corruption scandal by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Both agencies released a report earlier this month saying that several government members were involved in an embezzlement scheme involving Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, Energoatom.
In an evening address, Zelensky said Yermak wrote a letter of resignation after officers raided his home.
open image in galleryUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his chief of staff Andrii Yermak has resigned (Reuters)The president noted he was grateful to his chief of staff for “always presenting the Ukrainian position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be”, but said there needed to be unity and “there should be no reason to be distracted by anything other than defending Ukraine”.
Yermak, who is a former film producer, said on Telegram before his resignation that he was fully cooperating with the investigations.
“They were given full access to the apartment, my lawyers are on site, interacting with law enforcement officers. For my part, I fully cooperate,” he said.
The Independent looks at the career of Zelensky’s former right-hand man.
open image in galleryUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine's Presidential Office Chief of staff Andriy Yermak (AFP/Getty)Who is Andrii Yermak?
Yermak, 54, was born in Kyiv and studied an MA in international private law at Taras Shevchenko National University before starting his own law firm in 1997.
He became involved in politics early in his career, providing legal advice to the Party of Regions MP Elbrus Tedeyev, a former Olympic wrestling champion.
Away from politics, Yermak founded the Garnet International Media Group in 2012. There, he produced films and he remains a member of the Ukrainian Film Academy and European Film Academy.
He met Zelensky in 2011, when the now-president was a general producer for TV channel Inter. Later, he became involved in Zelensky’s election campaign in 2019.
After Zelensky became President, Yermak was appointed as a Presidential Aide for Foreign Policy Issues. In February 2020, he was made Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and the following day became a member of the National Security Defence Council.
In 2022, Yermak was also appointed as chairman of the Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian and Social Affairs.
open image in galleryUkraine's Presidential Office Chief of staff Andriy Yermak leaving a hotel in Geneva (AFP/Getty)What is his relationship with Zelensky?
Yermak and Zelensky became close after meeting when they were both in the entertainment sector in 2011.
Since Zelensky’s election victory in 2019, the pair have been inseparable, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In the immediate aftermath of the invasion, Zelensky posted a video on social media in which he famously said he would not move from Kyiv. In the clip, he was flanked by Yermak.
Yermak has reportedly been known in some circles as Kyiv’s “Green Cardinal” – as Zelensky’s surname in Eastern Slavic languages means “green”. He has gained a reputation as being a dealmaker for Zelensky, working behind the scenes.
The 54-year-old was named as one of The Times’ 100 most influential people of 2024. The magazine noted that he built a network of friends for Ukraine across the world.
open image in galleryForeign Secretary Yvette Cooper shakes hands with the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak (Valentyn Ogirenko/PA Wire)What are the allegations against him?
Yermak has not been accused of anything specific by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. The two agencies have only said they are “conducting investigative actions at the head of the office of the president of Ukraine”.
Oleksii Tkachuk, a spokesman for Yermak, said the agencies had not served him a notice of suspicion, meaning he was not a suspect in an investigation.
Earlier this month, the watchdogs released a report implicating several government members in a $100m (£76m) embezzlement scheme involving Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, Energoatom.
The 15-month investigation, dubbed Operation Midas, involved more than 1,000 hours of wiretapping. The group at the centre of the scandal are accused of extracting kickbacks worth 10-15 per cent of contract values and laundering the massive sums through a secret office in Kyiv.
Eight people were accused of bribery, abuse of office and possession of disproportionate assets. More than 70 raids were conducted throughout the operation.
The raid of Yermak’s home is likely in relation to the energy sector corruption scandal involving top Ukrainian officials, which investigators believe was masterminded by Tymur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky who has since fled the country.
Two top government ministers have resigned in the scandal and two of Yermak's former deputies - Oleh Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma - left the government in 2024 after watchdogs investigated them for financial wrongdoing.
A third deputy, Andrii Smyrnov, was investigated for bribes and other wrongdoing but still works for Yermak.
open image in galleryYermak on a trip to Germany (Getty)What involvement has Yermak had in the peace talks?
Yermak has been substantially involved in the peace talks to bring the war to an end. Earlier this week, he was fronting discussions in Geneva with the US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
Before the police raid, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was due to arrive in Kyiv by the end of the week as President Donald Trump pushed ahead with a draft peace plan between Russia and Ukraine.
US officials are expected to be in Moscow next week. Hours before Yermak’s home was searched, he told The Atlantic that “as long as Zelensky is president, no-one should count on us giving up territory. He will not sign away territory”.
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