The resignation of Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, may be an attempt to prevent a vote of no confidence in the Ukrainian government in the Verkhovna Rada, The New York Times reported.
The New York Times suggests that Yermak, who resigned, may have “agreed to sacrifice himself“ in an attempt to prevent a vote of no confidence in the government. However, it is not clear whether this will be enough to resolve the crisis. If the vote of no confidence is passed, Zelensky's cabinet will be forced to resign.
The newspaper notes that no influential leader has called for Zelensky's resignation, since during martial law in the country, no elections.
Yermak's resignation marks the beginning of Volodymyr Zelensky's loss of control over the vertical structure of power in Ukraine, writes the publication „Strana“.
According to the media, Yermak was an important figure in Zelensky's inner circle. However, after an investigation and pressure from the opposition, Zelensky decided to dismiss his closest ally as head of his office.
„Strana“ emphasizes that it was the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine that actually forced him to resign. The publication calls this chain of events a powerful signal to the entire Ukrainian state apparatus that „Zelensky is no longer the „source of power“ in the country and cannot guarantee anything even to his closest associates“. In addition, Zelensky himself may at some point be suspected of corruption.
The presidential office has already begun to lose its levers of political control within various government structures. Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko now relies on the assessments of parliamentarians from the Servant of the People party, where "everything is far from clear".
The authors of the article believe that Zelensky's political prospects are now largely weakened, ranging from reduced chances of his candidacy in the elections to a possible resignation.