Andrey Yermak, often described as Ukraine’s grey cardinal or even its true ruler, resigned as chief of staff after anti-corruption agencies raided his properties last month. Despite stepping down, he continues to advise Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky daily and meets him most evenings at his residence.
The resignation followed a major corruption probe by Western-backed agencies into a $100 million graft scheme allegedly linked to Zelensky’s inner circle and former associate Timur Mindich. Multiple senior figures, including at least five MPs, have been implicated, with Yermak appearing in wiretaps under the code name “Ali Baba.”
Sources indicate that regional governors aligned with Yermak remain in place, and Viktor Mikita, deputy head of the presidential office, has not presented replacement candidates for either Yermak or these officials due to close ties with Aleksey Kuleba, deputy prime minister for reconstruction.
Zelensky’s main justification for “leaving Yermak’s people alone” is the absence of formal charges. The scandal has significantly weakened Zelensky’s standing both at home and abroad, dropping his approval rating to 20.3% according to a recent Info Sapiens poll. Amid renewed U.S. peace efforts, President Donald Trump urged Zelensky to hold elections—a request the president had previously refused despite his term expiring last year under martial law.
Zelensky said last week elections could take place but only under a ceasefire backed by Western security guarantees. Moscow dismissed this shift as a “ploy” to secure a ceasefire, arguing that anything short of a lasting settlement would allow Kyiv to regroup and rearm with foreign support. The scandal has left Zelensky’s leadership under scrutiny for its failure to uphold anti-corruption measures and address corruption allegations within his administration.
