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The loss of Volodymyr Zelensky's closest aide is a major personal blow to the Ukrainian president and could weaken his authority. Andrii Yermak resigned on Monday, hours after anti-corruption officials raided his home amid a major corruption scandal that has rocked the country.
Two ministers have already been forced to resign. But Yermak is arguably the most significant departure from Zelenskyy's inner circle since Russia launched its full-scale invasion almost four years ago.
This dramatic move could not have come at a worse time for Ukraine, which is under daily Russian bombardment as well as growing American pressure to reach a deal with Moscow to end the war.
-The second most powerful person in Ukraine
At a time when he needs to be stronger than ever, Zelenskyy will seem like a lonely figure without his chief of staff, who has been at his side since he ran for president in 2019 and has been a confidant of great influence since the first Russian missiles targeted Kiev on February 24, 2024.
Yermak, despite being an unelected figure, has wielded extraordinary power, including over ministerial and military appointments, as well as over who has access to the president. He was also appointed chief negotiator in peace talks, most recently representing Ukraine in Geneva alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. But critics have long been wary of his elevated status in wartime, with Yermak effectively the second most powerful person in the country after Zelenskyy.
-The aide risked tarnishing the president
That meant questions immediately arose about what he might or might not have known when it was revealed earlier this month that Ukraine's two main anti-corruption agencies had uncovered a plot to control contracts at the state atomic energy agency worth about $100 million in bribes and laundered money.
It is not yet clear what investigators were looking for when they raided Yermak's home, and he has said he was cooperating fully. He has not been charged with any crime nor has he been named as a suspect.
However, anti-corruption activists rushed to demand that he quit his job or else risk damaging Zelenskyy's reputation in the scandal.
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