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’s full-scale invasion.
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’s energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors.
But that hasn’t quieted the political storm. After more than three years of war in which Ukrainians face regular power outages as a result of Russia’s fierce bombardment, corruption in the energy sector isn’t 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’s de facto vice president.
Neither Zelensky nor Yermak have been accused of any wrongdoing by those leading the corruption investigation. Yet Zelensky’s political opponents — as well as allies worried the scandal could weaken their parliamentary governing coalition — say more senior leaders need to be held accountable to restore public trust.
Zelensky’s critics say it’s also important to bolster credibility with Ukraine’s Western allies, whose support is vital to the war effort and in eventually negotiating an end to the conflict.
“It’s really hard to imagine that all this happening at the behest of people from the outside without political support,” Anastasia Radina, the head of parliament’s anti-corruption committee, said on Facebook on Wednesday. By not cutting ties with Yermak, Zelensky is “provoking an even greater internal crisis,” she said.
The country has been plagued by corruption since gaining independence, and Zelensky was elected on a mandate to eliminate graft.
Two officials in Zelensky’s 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.
Zelensky dismisses top officials, sanctions close associates
The investigation conducted by Ukraine’s 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’s state-owned nuclear energy company, Energoatom.
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 “Ali Baba,” though this person’s identity has not been made public, if it is even known.
After the scheme was made public, Ukraine’s parliament approved Zelensky’s dismissal of the country’s energy and justice ministers, and the president’s office imposed sanctions on close associates who were implicated, including Tymur Mindich, a co-owner of Zelensky’s media production company.
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.
Zelensky’s political opponents say it is hard to believe that such a huge corruption scheme could have taken place without the knowledge of Yermak — the presidential adviser who has towered over Ukrainian politics for six years — though they have not provided any evidence to support the allegation.
Yermak has not publicly addressed the calls for his resignation.
However, Yermak has apparently sought to bolster his support within the government. He sought to arrange a meeting with Ukraine’s popular former army chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is currently Ukraine’s 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.
Yermak’s spokesperson did not respond to request for comment.
Political pressure grows
Zelensky’s landslide victory in 2019 resulted in him obtaining around two-thirds of the seats in parliament. Many of his allies favor Yermak’s resignation, said lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko, who is a member of the president’s political party.
“The faction and the parliament don’t want to bear responsibility for the corruption,” he said.
Around 30 members of parliament from Zelensky’s 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’s party, David Arakhamia, said Porturaev’s announcement did not reflect the official party line. Ukraine’s parliamentary speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, said lawmakers are consulting on next steps.
A powerful figure
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.
Yermak plays a central role in Zelensky’s administration in managing relationships with the US and other Western countries, and developing possible scenarios for a ceasefire with Russia.
He oversaw foreign affairs as part of Zelensky’s first presidential team and was promoted to chief of staff in February 2020.
Yermak has accompanied Zelensky on every trip abroad since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and the president’s trust in him has made Yermak’s power appear almost insurmountable.
Domestically, officials describe Yermak as Zelensky’s gatekeeper, and he is widely believed to have chosen all top government appointees, including prime ministers and ministers.
Individuals connected to Yermak and the president’s office have come under investigation before.
Two of Yermak’s former deputies — Oleg Tatarov and Rostyslav Shurma — 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.