Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Resigns Amid Corruption Probe That Threatened American and EU Support for Ukraine in War With Russia

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, accepted the resignation of his top aide Friday, saying he does not want a corruption investigation into Andrii Yermak to distract from meetings aimed at negotiating a peace deal with Russia.Mr. Yermak resigned earlier in the day after anti-corruption officials searched his home. Ten agents from Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office entered the property after allegations that Mr. Yermak was part of a plot to skim $100 million from energy deals, along with several senior energy officials exploiting the chaos in Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as the country fights to keep its borderlands with Russia. Earlier this month, Mr. Zelensky acknowledged the investigation, but did not take action against Mr. Yermak. On Friday, he said he was accepting Mr. Yermak’s resignation because he could not deal with distractions as he prepared for meetings with American officials to discuss a peace deal with Russia “worthy of our people.” “The president’s office of Ukraine will undergo a full reboot. Its head, Andrii Yermak, has tendered his resignation. I am grateful to Andrii for consistently presenting Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table exactly as it ought to be presented. His stance has always been staunchly patriotic. However, I want to avoid any rumours or needless speculation,” he said in an address to the nation. Prior to his resignation, Mr. Yermak announced he was fully cooperating with the search at his home.“Today, NABU and SAP are indeed conducting procedural actions at my home. There are no obstacles for the investigators. They were provided with full access to the apartment, on site — my lawyers, who are interacting with the law enforcement officers. From my side — full cooperation,” he posted on X.The investigation, called “Operation Midas,” has been ongoing since the summer of 2024 and has already resulted in toppling two of Mr. Yermak’s staff and several energy sector officials who had been accused of skimming 10-15 percent of contracts to operate Ukraine’s nuclear grid. Investigators have collected 1,000 hours of audio recordings of suspects’ conversations as well as $4 million in cash during more than 70 searches. Earlier this month, Mr. Zelensky removed his ministers of justice and energy, two of a dozen figures in the corruption case. A Ukrainian billionaire and longtime associate of Mr. Zelensky, Timur Mindich, who is also believed to be central to the payoff scheme, fled the country on November 10. Members of Parliament from Mr. Zelensky’s own Servant of the People Party had threatened resignation earlier this month if Mr. Zelensky did not boot Mr. Yermak, who investigators are said to have code-named “Ali Baba” and who was perceived to be the mastermind and central coordinator of the deals. American and European Union officials had warned Mr. Zelensky that a failure to address the scandal threatened trade and security arrangements. Though the White House had been silent on the investigation — President Trump has said nothing publicly about the probe — in 2019, Mr. Trump cited the Burisma deal involving President Biden’s son, Hunter, as emblematic of Ukrainian corruption. At the time, he threatened to withhold $400 million in aid. Mr. Trump’s 28-point peace plan between Ukraine and Russia, which is seen as mostly favorable to Russia, is loosely interpreted by observers as a demonstration of his dissatisfaction with Mr. Zelensky’s attention to anti-corruption matters. The president has said his only goal is peace.Friday’s resignation was welcomed by the European Commission, which had supported the raid and the corruption probe.“The fight against corruption has been a central element of our enlargement package, which sets out our overall position on this issue. Let me emphasize that the fight against corruption is key to the country’s accession to the European Union. This requires constant efforts to guarantee a strong capacity to fight corruption and respect for the rule of law,” the European Commission’s spokesperson, Guillaume Mercier, told Ukraine’s Radio Liberty.

Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Resigns Amid Corruption Probe That Threatened American and EU Support for Ukraine in War With Russia

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