Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday the resignation of his powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, hours after anti corruption investigators searched his residence, delivering a significant blow to the president’s inner circle at a critical moment in peace negotiations with the United States.
The departure came just hours after authorities from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office conducted searches at Yermak’s home inside the presidential compound in downtown Kyiv on November 28. Yermak had been leading the Ukrainian delegation during recent talks with the United States in Geneva aimed at negotiating a peace deal to end the war with Russia.
Zelensky addressed the nation in a video statement, emphasizing the need for unity and transparency. He announced that the Office of the President of Ukraine would be reorganized and that Yermak had submitted his resignation, adding he would hold consultations on Saturday with potential replacements for the position.
Russia very much wants Ukraine to make mistakes, there will be no mistakes on our part, Zelensky stated in his address. He warned that Ukraine cannot afford to retreat or quarrel internally, noting that losing unity risks losing everything. The president emphasized that the nation must hold on and work continues despite the leadership change.
The searches targeted Yermak as part of an investigation into a $100 million energy sector corruption scandal involving top Ukrainian officials at the state atomic energy company Energoatom. Investigators suspect that Tymur Mindich, a one time business partner of Zelensky, was the plot’s mastermind, though Mindich has fled the country.
A spokesperson for Yermak said the anti graft agencies had not served him a notice of suspicion, meaning he was not a suspect in an investigation, and that Yermak had not been told what the searches related to. Yermak confirmed he was cooperating fully with investigators and his lawyers were present during the searches.
Yermak, 54, has been Zelensky’s most important ally but is a divisive figure in Kyiv, where his opponents say he has accumulated power, gatekeeps access to the president, and ruthlessly sidelines critical voices. A former film producer and copyright lawyer, Yermak came into politics with Zelensky in 2019, previously working with him during the now president’s time as a popular comedian.
The resignation creates immediate complications for Ukraine’s negotiating position. Two Ukrainian officials said Yermak’s resignation came a day before he was supposed to travel to Miami for talks with President Trump’s team about the peace plan. Last week, the Trump administration came up with a 28 point peace plan that largely reflected Russia’s extensive wishlist, including demands for Ukraine to give up territory and reduce its military.
Yermak’s delegation managed to convince the United States to revise the plan during the Geneva talks last weekend. More talks have been scheduled for the coming days, though Zelensky said the delegation that will be meeting the United States team will include the Chief of the General Staff, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and Ukraine’s intelligence services.
Two top government ministers have resigned in the scandal, including former Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and former Justice Minister German Galushchenko, though both deny wrongdoing. Two of Yermak’s former deputies, Oleh Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma, left the government in 2024 after watchdogs investigated them for financial wrongdoing.
The scandal has heaped additional problems on Zelensky as he seeks continued support from Western countries for Ukraine’s war effort. The European Union, which Ukraine wants to join, has told Zelensky he must crack down on graft. Zelensky faced an unprecedented rebellion from his own lawmakers earlier this month after investigators published details of their energy sector investigation.
Some senior lawmakers in Zelensky’s party said Yermak should take responsibility for the energy sector scandal in order to restore public trust. Some said that if Zelensky didn’t fire him, the party could split, threatening the president’s parliamentary majority, though Zelensky had previously defied these calls.
Daria Kaleniuk, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, called the resignation a positive step but said it must be followed by real accountability. Lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko from Zelensky’s Servant of the People party told media it was the right decision by both Yermak, who tendered his resignation, and the president, who accepted it.
Yermak has been a constant presence next to Zelensky through the ups and downs of the war, and has emerged as one of the few men that the Ukrainian leader appeared to really trust. Whether wearing a sharp suit in the halls of power while visiting European countries or khaki fatigues on visits to front line positions, Yermak has been a constant presence, a burly figure towering over his shorter boss.
Yermak oversaw foreign affairs as part of Zelensky’s first presidential team and was promoted to chief of staff in February 2020. Yermak has accompanied Zelensky on every trip abroad since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and the president’s trust in him has made Yermak’s power appear almost untouchable.
As recently as Thursday, Yermak vowed that Zelensky would not agree to give up land in exchange for peace, a key sticking point in negotiations. He stated in an interview with The Atlantic that not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory.
A Ukrainian official said that while Yermak’s resignation put the negotiations in flux, it will not lead to changes in the Ukrainian position on ending the war, which has been determined by Zelensky. However, the timing creates uncertainty as Ukraine faces pressure to conclude negotiations quickly.
The Kremlin has sought to exploit the scandal. The Kremlin delighted Friday in what it said would be the very negative consequences of the latest development. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was expecting a United States delegation to arrive to Moscow early next week.
Ukraine has traditionally ranked poorly in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index, especially among European countries. Ukraine placed 105th out of 180 countries in the most recent edition of the rankings. Ukraine was credited with making strides in judicial independence and high level corruption prosecutions even amid war.
The resignation occurs at a particularly vulnerable moment for Ukraine. Kyiv faces United States pressure to make concessions to Moscow to end its war on Ukraine and lacks the soldiers or weapons to push Russian forces back. The country continues defending against Russian attacks nearly four years after the full scale invasion began in February 2022.
A United States official told Axios last week that the scandal could weaken Ukraine’s negotiating position with Russia. The investigation’s timing, combined with pressure from the Trump administration for a swift peace deal, creates a complex environment for Ukrainian diplomacy going forward.
Zelensky’s announcement of Yermak’s resignation represents one of the most significant government reshuffles since the war began. The president must now quickly identify a trusted replacement capable of managing both domestic affairs and sensitive international negotiations while maintaining continuity in Ukraine’s positions during peace talks.
The search at Yermak’s residence marks the highest profile action yet in the corruption investigation that has dominated Ukrainian domestic headlines in recent weeks. The case has already led to multiple resignations and continues generating political pressure on Zelensky’s government as it navigates the dual challenges of wartime governance and anti corruption reforms demanded by Western partners.
