Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak airs for the press, arsenic they conscionable with Spain's King Felipe (not pictured), astatine the Zarzuela Palace, successful Madrid, Spain, Nov. 18, 2025.
Violeta Santos Moura | Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's almighty main of staff, a adjacent state of the president who has headed Ukraine's dialog squad astatine fraught U.S.-backed bid talks, discontinue connected Friday, hours aft anti-corruption agents searched his home.
Zelenskyy said Andriy Yermak had resigned and that helium would see his replacement connected Saturday.
Yermak's departure comes arsenic a large probe into high-level graft ensnared elder officials, fueling wide nationalist anger.
"Russia precise overmuch wants Ukraine to marque mistakes," Zelenskyy said successful a video address. "There volition beryllium nary mistakes connected our part. Our enactment continues."
Yermak, 54, has been a adjacent person of Zelenskyy since the president's days arsenic a TV comedian, and helped usher Zelenskyy's palmy 2019 statesmanlike run arsenic a governmental outsider.
He has not been named a suspect, but absorption lawmakers and immoderate members of Zelenskyy's ain enactment had called for his dismissal arsenic portion of Ukraine's worst wartime governmental crisis.
Earlier connected Friday, Yermak had confirmed his flat was being searched and said helium was afloat cooperating.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said the searches were "authorized" and linked to an unspecified investigation.
Earlier this month, the 2 anti-graft agencies unveiled a sweeping probe into an alleged $100 cardinal kickback strategy astatine the authorities atomic vigor institution that ensnared erstwhile elder officials and an ex-business spouse of Zelenskyy.
In a connection connected Friday, the absorption European Solidarity enactment had called for Yermak's dismissal and his removal from the negotiating team, arsenic good arsenic for a caller conjugation authorities and talks with Zelenskyy.
"The contented of bid and the destiny of Ukrainians cannot beryllium connected the idiosyncratic vulnerabilities and tarnished estimation of politicians progressive successful a corruption scandal," it said.
The U.S.-backed bid propulsion comes arsenic Russian forces grind guardant on respective parts of the sprawling beforehand line. Moscow says its troops are adjacent to capturing the eastbound metropolis of Pokrovsk, which would beryllium their biggest prize successful astir 2 years.
On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said a 28-point U.S. bid program leaked past week could beryllium "a ground for aboriginal agreements". He demanded Kyiv retreat troops from eastbound onshore it holds earlier Moscow stops fighting.
Speaking to The Atlantic mag this week, Yermak had said "no 1 should number connected america giving up territory."
Showing advancement successful warring corruption is simply a cardinal constituent of Kyiv's bid for European Union membership, which Ukrainian officials spot arsenic captious to breaking retired of Russia's orbit.
In a connection earlier Yermak's resignation was announced, a European Commission spokesperson said Brussels would "continue to travel the concern closely."
The 2 anti-graft agencies person stepped up their run during Russia's invasion, but person said they look unit from vested interests. Zelenskyy concisely rolled backmost their independency past July but reversed people aft a nationalist outcry and disapproval from overseas partners.
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