The political struggle within the Ukrainian government is becoming increasingly fierce, and it threatens to cause even more damage to the country than the fighting itself. This conclusion was reached by The Economist magazine, which believes that Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, is at the center of government intrigues.
The publication writes that Kiev has many difficulties in military terms, citing as such the lack of a ceasefire agreement, the offensive of Russian troops in Sumy and Donbas, the suspension (temporary or final) of American weapons supplies, and the increasingly active use of missiles and drones by Russia.
„But the Ukrainian military drama is only one side of the story. The domestic political background is no less worrying - the split, purges and infighting that could destroy the country from within,“ the article says.
The publication draws attention to three stories in Ukrainian politics: the anti-corruption case filed against Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Chernyshev, rumors of possible government reshuffles and the appointment of Yulia Sviridenko as Prime Minister, as well as renewed attempts to remove the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov.
Regarding the latter, The Economist writes that the position of the US administration, which opposes replacing Budanov, has helped him keep his post, “at least for now”. As the article says, Ermak's actions can be traced behind all three of the stories listed.
The publication notes that although publications in the Western press create a "real feeling that the doors are closing on him in Washington", he remains more influential in domestic politics than ever.
The magazine writes that Ermak controls up to 85% of the information that reaches Zelensky's desk, and this "creates a dangerous atmosphere of insinuations and conspiracy theories at the very heart of the state apparatus".
The Economist points out that the "brutal intrigues in power" and its centralization are not surprising in a country that has been in a state of high-intensity conflict for almost three and a half years.