Which is why the prospect of an inglorious demise after anti-corruption authorities searched his apartment early this morning is a seismic development, not just for the fate of Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but for the direction of the war almost four years after Russia’s invasion.
Zelenskiy bristles when attention is drawn to the influence his chief of staff wields. But that reach cannot be overstated.
Never far from the president’s side, Yermak is the chief negotiator in peace talks with the US. Now this “powerful manager,” who has survived several rounds of reshuffles and who seemed to have a chokehold on his boss, is facing the prospect of being put in handcuffs.
The timing is atrocious for Zelenskiy, with US negotiators piling on the pressure for him to sign a peace deal that would impose major concessions to Russia.
His negotiating hand is weakened further by the stench of corruption at the top. Zelenskiy rose from television comedian to surprise winner of the presidential election in 2019 on a campaign to root out corruption in an economy riddled with it. In the past, any suggestion that he part ways with Yermak was firmly rebuffed.
To be sure, Yermak has not been charged with anything, and says he is cooperating fully with the investigation.
For Zelenskiy, standing by his right-hand man could still be a risky proposition given how the scandal over energy is getting closer to his inner circle.
Ukrainians are suffering power outages and repeated Russian attacks on energy infrastructure as they head into a fourth winter of war.
Now, as they’re confronted with top government officials skimming millions from Ukraine’s nuclear-power company, Zelenskiy is holed up, mulling his next move. — Flavia Krause-Jackson