Zelensky’s Power Broker Under Fire: Andriy Yermak Drawn Into High-Stakes Corruption Turmoil

If you ask Ukrainians who holds the most power after the president, many will name Andriy Yermak — the chief of staff who has been at Volodymyr Zelensky’s side throughout four years of war, managing crucial negotiations that helped secure Western financial and military aid.

Now Yermak, a close friend and trusted confidant of the president, is embroiled in an escalating corruption scandal after anti-graft investigators searched his property on Friday.

The 54-year-old has said little since the raid, which comes at a precarious moment for Kyiv. The government faces mounting pressure from Washington to consider major concessions to Moscow, even as it struggles with troop shortages and a lack of weaponry to push back Russian forces.

Before the search, Mykola Bielieskov, a senior analyst at the Ukrainian charitable foundation Come Back Alive, summed up the situation: “Too much is happening at once — domestic scandal, problems on the frontline, uncertainty in Europe, and pressure from Russia and the United States.”

Yermak’s long partnership with Zelensky

Born in Kyiv, Yermak worked as a lawyer before venturing into the media business. His relationship with Zelensky dates back to the early 2010s, when Zelensky was an emerging television star and Yermak was rising in Ukraine’s media world.

He joined Zelensky’s team during the 2019 presidential campaign and soon became one of the most powerful unelected officials in Ukraine. Always by Zelensky’s side — whether dressed in a sharp suit for European capitals or in combat fatigues at frontline positions — Yermak has survived multiple government reshuffles and consolidated his influence.

He has served as a key channel to two successive U.S. administrations, helped coordinate prisoner exchanges and peace talks, and lobbied Western partners for weapons, funding, and tougher sanctions on Moscow.

Is the scandal catching up with him?

Authorities have revealed little about what anti-corruption agents were searching for. Yermak insists he is cooperating fully. The watchdog agencies that authorized the search did not specify what investigation it was connected to.

Ukraine is currently reeling from a major scandal involving an alleged scheme to control a $100 million contract through the state atomic energy agency — a case linked to bribery and money laundering at a time when the country is fighting to protect its energy infrastructure from Russian strikes.

Ukrainians are shocked by the scale of the alleged corruption, especially because it involves facilities critical to electricity, heating, and water supply — all frequent targets of Russian attacks.

Although Yermak has not been named a suspect, opposition lawmakers and even some members of Zelensky’s own party have called for his dismissal.

In an interview with The Atlantic published Thursday, Yermak said Zelensky had appointed him to lead Ukraine’s negotiating team for talks with U.S. and European partners about peace proposals — a sign, he said, of the president’s confidence in him.

“The pressure is huge,” he said. “He trusted me with negotiations that will determine the fate of our country. And if people support the president, that should answer all their questions.”

Uncertainty at a critical moment

Zelensky remains broadly popular, but letting go of a close aide could help him rebuild support at home and abroad — particularly at a moment he has described as Ukraine’s most difficult phase of the war.

If Yermak is removed, it could signal a commitment to “cleaning house.” But it could also suggest that corruption allegations are inching closer to the president’s inner circle.

The main suspect in the current probe is a longtime business associate of Zelensky.

Corruption concerns have already unsettled U.S. officials and contributed to the dismissal of two ministers. These worries weaken Zelensky at a time when he needs maximum international trust.

Meanwhile, Washington is pressuring Kyiv to accept peace proposals that Russia says should include giving up territory and agreeing to future limits on Ukraine’s military.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to undermine Zelensky by arguing that his presidential term has expired — even though Ukraine’s martial law prevents elections during wartime.

The corruption scandal also breaks at an inconvenient time for Kyiv’s broader ambitions: Ukraine is trying to prove to the European Union that it is serious about fighting corruption, a key requirement for joining the bloc.