Russia-Ukraine war: BIG setback for Ukraine’s Zelenskyy as his Chief of Staff quits after…, Trump’s peace plan could derail due to…

Russia-Ukraine war: In another setback for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine peace deal negotiations, Andriy Yermak, his Chief of Staff, regarded as one of Ukraine’s most influential political figures, stepped down, hours after his home was raided by the country’s anti-corruption agencies raided his home.

Who is Andriy Yermak?

Often viewed as the second-most powerful man in Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak served as Zelenskyy’s chief of staff and is counted among his closest aides. Yermak’s resignation could also potentially derail US President Doland Trump’s peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine as he had been leading the Ukrainian delegation during recent talks in Geneva with Washington.

His resignation was announced by Zelenskyy on Friday, and complicates Kyiv’s position going into crucial peace negotiations with the US.

“I want no one to have any questions about Ukraine today. Therefore, today we have the following internal decisions. First, there will be a reboot of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The head of the office, Andriy Yermak, has written a letter of resignation,” Zelenskyy said in his daily TV address, CNN reported.

What are the charges against Yermak?

Both of Ukraine’s two main anti-corruption bodies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), were involved in the searches, CNN reported, citing a statement issued by the agencies on Friday.

While the statement did not divulge the reason behind the raids, or the charges against Andriy Yermak, the action comes just two weeks after the two agencies announced a sweeping investigation into an alleged kickback scheme concerning Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure.

Andriy Yermak did not immediately issue a public statement, but confirmed earlier on Friday that the raid was going on, saying on Telegram that he was “fully cooperating” with the authorities. “The investigators are not encountering any obstacles. They have been given full access to the apartment, and my lawyers are on site, interacting with law enforcement officials,” he said.

The scandal has already taken down two of Zelenskyy’s ministers and embroiled a former business associate from his days in the entertainment industry.

Earlier this month, Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was accused in a massive corruption scandal to the tune of over $100 million, reportedly linked to the same case. Mindich, a longtime associate of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who co-owned the Ukrainian leader’s now defunct entertainment company, Kvartal 95, was named as the ringleader of a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme by NABU.

How Yermak’s ouster could derail Trump peace plan?

The resignation of Andriy Yermak could prove to be a major blow for Kyiv’s negotiations with US amid mounting pressure from Trump to work out a peace deal with Russia and end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The development is also awkward for Zelenskyy given Yermak’s recent elevation to the top of Ukraine’s negotiating team, and its unclear who will take Yermak’s spot in the next rounds of the negotiations, expected as early as the next few days. Announcing the resignation, Zelensky said he would be speaking to possible candidates to take up the chief of staff post on Saturday, as per CNN.

(With inputs from agencies)