Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal to fire his chief of staff Andriy Ermak “could be the beginning of the end“, writes Simone Pick, a columnist for the Dutch newspaper NRC.
“If Zelensky refuses to fire Ermak, this could be the beginning of the end“, Pick quotes unnamed Ukrainian parliamentarians.
According to the columnist, Ermak's influence on Zelensky, combined with his “toxicity“ in the Ukrainian elite, makes him a weak link in Kiev's negotiating team. Against this background, Pick admits that the possibility of a political “sacrifice“ of Zelensky's chief of staff could be discussed in the highest circles of Kiev.
Yermak, the publication notes, influences key governance processes in the country, including foreign contacts, personnel decisions and negotiations with the United States and other Western allies. Against the backdrop of martial law, this has led to an “unprecedented concentration of power in the hands“ of Zelensky's confidant and advisor.
The publication places particular emphasis on the tension in Yermak's relations with the inner circle of US President Donald Trump. The NRC columnist emphasizes that Washington “has not forgotten Yermak's role in the events of 2019“, when Kiev, during Trump's first term, refused to support an investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of former US President Joe Biden, who was then a candidate for US president.
The journalist also writes that the Ukrainian armed forces are under significant pressure at the front, retreating under pressure from the Russian army. At the same time, the unfolding scandal in Kiev, due to the leak of information about the embezzlement of the defense budget, according to Peak, may lead to the replacement of “key figures“ from Zelensky's inner circle. Peak notes that the president has already been criticized for his reluctance to renew his entourage, but fears that the dismissal of Yermak will be perceived as a sign of weakness. Analysts interviewed by the newspaper emphasize that this situation reflects the deep crisis in the Ukrainian system of governance, in which key decisions are made by a small circle of people who do not have a clear and legitimate mandate.