Yermak's departure may assist in ameliorating the challenging relationship between Ukraine and the Trump administration, as reported by The Telegraph.
The second most influential person in Ukraine has exited his post. Mere hours after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) executed searches and initiated an inquiry into his alleged involvement in a $100 million graft controversy, Andriy Yermak tendered his resignation as the head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine.
Yermak's exit represented a victory for Ukrainian anti-corruption activists and garnered considerable backing from prominent members of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's political faction, according to Samuel Ramani, a commentator for The Telegraph.
Yermak's resignation not only highlights Zelenskyy's intention to distance himself from the escalating corruption scandals but also bears substantial consequences for the peace agreement. Considering that extensive US-brokered diplomatic endeavors have failed to secure a truce, Yermak headed the Ukrainian delegation during the discussions.
In his concluding action as chief negotiator, Yermak firmly rejected the potential of ceding land to Russia. This constituted a courageous response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's warning to “fight until the last Ukrainian.”
“Given Yermak’s pivotal role in peace talks for Ukraine, his departure might be interpreted as an implicit acknowledgment of the considerable distance remaining to achieve a genuine ceasefire. However, there’s a beneficial aspect to this: it could facilitate the improvement of Ukraine’s tense relations with the US President Donald Trump’s administration and establish conditions for a pragmatic settlement to the dispute,” the observer remarks.
Even preceding Trump's return to the Oval Office in January 2025, Yermak’s association with the MAGA movement remained uneasy. Yermak’s undertaking to probe Burisma, the Ukrainian energy firm where Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was employed, briefly brought him closer to Trump.
Nevertheless, when it became apparent that Yermak had issued this declaration without Zelenskyy's consent, goodwill towards him within Trump’s inner circle diminished. Victoria Spartz, a Ukrainian-born Republican representing Indiana, initiated a public MAGA assault on Yermak, alleging he maintained clandestine connections with Russia and directed his deputy, Oleh Tatarov, to impede anti-corruption investigations.
As Trump began exerting pressure on Ukraine, demanding territorial concessions from Russia, the divide between Yermak and the White House only intensified. In private dialogues, Yermak suggested that Trump’s team was rife with Russian operatives.
Yermak’s exit clears the path for individuals more amenable to Trump to solidify their positions within the Ukrainian negotiating cohort. GUR chief Kirill Budanov reportedly convened with US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll in Abu Dhabi this week and publicly underscored Trump’s potentially crucial involvement in ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Should Russia persist with its unrelenting bombardment of Ukrainian civilians and engage in unproductive delaying strategies, Yermak’s unwavering stance on territorial concessions will persist unchanged.
However, Trump will likely continue to pressure Zelensky on this matter following the visit to Moscow of his confidants, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
As Putin also dismissed Dmitry Kozak, the Russian negotiator who routinely interacted with Yermak, the peace initiative could garner fresh impetus.
“Yermak’s resignation and Zelenskyy’s commitment to restructure the Presidential Administration will momentarily bolster the nation’s leader’s political standing amidst the war. This could also serve as a more enduring enhancement to the prospects for peace in Ukraine,” Ramani concludes.
