Zelensky's leadership in crisis as corruption probe forces top aide to resign
Ukraine's wartime leader faces his biggest political crisis as his right-hand man quits over corruption allegations while peace negotiations with Russia hang in the balance.
In Ukraine’s presidential palace on November 20, Volodymyr Zelensky was sitting at a table before a closed-door assembly of some 200 members of parliament belonging to his political faction. Next to him was Andriy Yermak, his powerful chief of staff and close confidant.
The meeting had been called to address revelations from Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, Nabu and Sapo, which days earlier had launched an investigation into senior members of Zelensky’s cabinet, accusing them of siphoning off and laundering $US100m from the state-owned nuclear power company.
Two ministers were forced to resign and a friend and business associate of the President fled the country.
It was only the second meeting of its kind held by Zelensky. The first was in 2019, after he won the general election. According to one person present, both the president and his chief of staff became increasingly uncomfortable after one MP, Maryana Bezugla, stood up to call for the sacking of Yermak, who has become a lightning rod for criticism.
“Andriy was turning red in the face from embarrassment,” said one person who was in the room. “I felt sorry for him because it was the day before his birthday.”
Several others in the room appeared to agree with Bezugla, but Zelensky robustly defended his adviser, refusing to dismiss him.
Just over a week later that has all changed. In a statement on social media, the President announced that Yermak had resigned after Nabu and Sapo conducted a surprise dawn raid on his office and private apartment on Friday morning. A spokesman for Yermak said he was co-operating fully with the investigations and pointed out he had not been served with a notice of suspicion, meaning he was not currently a suspect.
Now the question is whether Zelensky can survive the inevitable blowback from losing his most trusted adviser and if this scalp will be enough to satisfy opposition MPs and the wider Ukrainian public. His difficulties have been compounded by recent perceived failures in the war – the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk was effectively captured by Russian troops earlier this month, and the ongoing peace negotiations are viewed by many in Ukraine as a capitulation to Moscow.
One opposition MP said their polling, which has not been published, showed Zelensky’s approval rating dropped in recent weeks.
Oleksandr Merezhko, a senior MP in Zelensky’s Servant of the People party and a former adviser on his election campaign, who is now chair of the influential foreign affairs committee, told The Sunday Times: “I think it was in the interests of the President and the country to at least suspend Yermak while the investigation is ongoing. He was a good chief of staff but this shouldn’t be allowed to cast a shadow on the President, especially when such serious peace negotiations are taking place.”
On Saturday, Zelensky said he had appointed the secretary of national security, Rustem Umerov, to replace Yermak in the peace negotiations, and Umerov was heading to the US immediately for further talks. Zelensky will meet Emmanuel Macron in France tomorrow (Monday).
The investigation into widespread corruption at the top of Ukraine’s government has been secretly ongoing for more than 15 months. It included extensive phone wiretaps, which caught suspects using codenames and speaking in cryptic language, according to Nabu and Sapo.
Members of Zelensky’s inner circle have been accused of siphoning off and laundering about $US100m in funds from the state-owned nuclear power company, Energoatom. Investigators said those accused had pressured the company’s contractors into paying kickbacks of up to 15 per cent. If they refused, they were denied payments owed by Energoatom.
The scheme appeared to exploit a rule under martial law that prevents the collection of debts from companies providing essential services.
The agencies have so far accused eight people of involvement, but Yermak is not one of them. They claim the criminal network was led by Timur Mindich, who co-owned a production company founded by Zelensky. Mindich fled Ukraine hours before a raid on his properties and is thought to be in Israel. He has not commented publicly on the case.
The Times
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