Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was acting to get ahead of “rumours and speculation” as he dismissed his chief of staff and lead peace negotiator after his home was raided by counter-corruption police.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s long-time political ally and chief of staff Andriy Yermak left the Ukrainian government on Friday afternoon, the latest such departure over a months-long corruption scandal which has already seen two other government ministers resign and President Zelensky’s former business partner flee the country.
Officers from Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) raided Yermak’s Kyiv home on Friday morning. He said he was cooperating with authorities and no specific allegations were made, but just hours later tended his resignation to the President. This was made official on Friday night as Zelensky promulgated a Presidential Decree which read: “Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 868/2025… To dismiss YERMAK Andriy Borysovych from the position of Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.”
President Zelensky said he would now “reboot” the Office of the President of Ukraine, which until today Yermak had led as chief of staff. Zelensky also thanked Yermak for his service and for his work as the country’s lead peace negotiator during the present Trump-instigated round of talks. The President made no allegations of wrongdoing, rather portraying the move rather to insulate the Presidency from speculation.
He said: “I am grateful to Andriy for always presenting the Ukrainian position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be. It has always been a patriotic position. But I want there to be no rumours and speculation”.
As earlier reported, the ongoing investigation in Ukraine is over a $100-million kickbacks scheme involving the Ukrainian state-owned nuclear energy company. Read more at Breitbart News.
