KYIV: Pressure is mounting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to take stronger action to show accountability in the face of a corruption scandal presenting the greatest threat to his government since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion.<\/p>\n
Last week, Zelensky dismissed two top officials and imposed sanctions on close associates after government investigators revealed that $100 million had been embezzled from the country\u2019s energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors.<\/p>\n
But that hasn\u2019t quieted the political storm. After more than three years of war in which Ukrainians face regular power outages as a result of Russia\u2019s fierce bombardment, corruption in the energy sector isn\u2019t sitting well with the public. Calls are growing for Zelensky to remove his longtime chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, who many consider to be Ukraine\u2019s de facto vice president.<\/p>\n
Neither Zelensky nor Yermak have been accused of any wrongdoing by those leading the corruption investigation. Yet Zelensky\u2019s political opponents \u2014 as well as allies worried the scandal could weaken their parliamentary governing coalition \u2014 say more senior leaders need to be held accountable to restore public trust.<\/p>\n
Zelensky\u2019s critics say it\u2019s also important to bolster credibility with Ukraine\u2019s Western allies, whose support is vital to the war effort and in eventually negotiating an end to the conflict.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really hard to imagine that all this happening at the behest of people from the outside without political support,\u201d Anastasia Radina, the head of parliament\u2019s anti-corruption committee, said on Facebook on Wednesday. By not cutting ties with Yermak, Zelensky is \u201cprovoking an even greater internal crisis,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The country has been plagued by corruption since gaining independence, and Zelensky was elected on a mandate to eliminate graft.<\/p>\n
Two officials in Zelensky\u2019s office say the president has not made any decision to dismiss Yermak. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were no authorized to brief journalists.<\/p>\n
Zelensky dismisses top officials, sanctions close associates<\/p>\n
The investigation conducted by Ukraine\u2019s anti-corruption watchdogs implicated high-ranking Ukrainian officials with pressuring contractors to pay up to 15 percent kickbacks in exchange for construction business with Ukraine\u2019s state-owned nuclear energy company, Energoatom.<\/p>\n
The investigation involved over 1,000 hours of wiretaps of individuals using code names and cryptic language to discuss the scheme. In some conversations, references were made to a powerful figure operating under the alias \u201cAli Baba,\u201d though this person\u2019s identity has not been made public, if it is even known.<\/p>\n
After the scheme was made public, Ukraine\u2019s parliament approved Zelensky\u2019s dismissal of the country\u2019s energy and justice ministers, and the president\u2019s office imposed sanctions on close associates who were implicated, including Tymur Mindich, a co-owner of Zelensky\u2019s media production company.<\/p>\n
The scandal landed just as Russian airstrikes had left millions of Ukrainians without power, which only intensified the furor. Earlier this year, Zelensky faced criticism for trying to weaken the watchdog agencies leading the investigation.<\/p>\n
Zelensky\u2019s political opponents say it is hard to believe that such a huge corruption scheme could have taken place without the knowledge of Yermak \u2014 the presidential adviser who has towered over Ukrainian politics for six years \u2014 though they have not provided any evidence to support the allegation.<\/p>\n
Yermak has not publicly addressed the calls for his resignation.<\/p>\n
However, Yermak has apparently sought to bolster his support within the government. He sought to arrange a meeting with Ukraine\u2019s popular former army chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is currently Ukraine\u2019s ambassador to the United Kingdom, according to an official close to Zaluzhnyi who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The request for a meeting was denied, the official said.<\/p>\n
Yermak\u2019s spokesperson did not respond to request for comment.<\/p>\n
Political pressure grows<\/p>\n
Zelensky\u2019s landslide victory in 2019 resulted in him obtaining around two-thirds of the seats in parliament. Many of his allies favor Yermak\u2019s resignation, said lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko, who is a member of the president\u2019s political party.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe faction and the parliament don\u2019t want to bear responsibility for the corruption,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Around 30 members of parliament from Zelensky\u2019s party are campaigning to create a coalition of national stability based on unity and not political interests and backroom deals, said Mykyta Porturaev, a leading Zelensky party lawmaker. But the head of Zelensky\u2019s party, David Arakhamia, said Porturaev\u2019s announcement did not reflect the official party line. Ukraine\u2019s parliamentary speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, said lawmakers are consulting on next steps.<\/p>\n
A powerful figure<\/p>\n
Yermak met Zelensky over 15 years ago when he was a lawyer venturing into the TV production business and Zelensky was a famous Ukrainian comedian and actor.<\/p>\n
Yermak plays a central role in Zelensky\u2019s administration in managing relationships with the US and other Western countries, and developing possible scenarios for a ceasefire with Russia.<\/p>\n
He oversaw foreign affairs as part of Zelensky\u2019s first presidential team and was promoted to chief of staff in February 2020.<\/p>\n
Yermak has accompanied Zelensky on every trip abroad since Russia\u2019s invasion in February 2022, and the president\u2019s trust in him has made Yermak\u2019s power appear almost insurmountable.<\/p>\n
Domestically, officials describe Yermak as Zelensky\u2019s gatekeeper, and he is widely believed to have chosen all top government appointees, including prime ministers and ministers.<\/p>\n
Individuals connected to Yermak and the president\u2019s office have come under investigation before.<\/p>\n
Two of Yermak\u2019s former deputies \u2014 Oleg Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma \u2014 left the government in 2024 under pressure after watchdogs investigated them for financial wrongdoing. A third deputy, Andriy Smirnov, was investigated for bribes and other wrongdoing, but still works for Yermak.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KYIV: Pressure is mounting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to take stronger action to show accountability in the face of a corruption scandal presenting the greatest threat to his government since Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion. Last week, Zelensky dismissed two top officials and imposed sanctions on close associates after government investigators revealed that $100 million had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":515653,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-515638","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n