Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, may be behind a series of possible personnel changes in the Ukrainian government in the near future.

Source : The Economist in the article Ukraine’s political infighting gets nasty

Details : The article is devoted to political developments in Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia and a decline in military aid from the United States.

Journalists report that Yermak plays a key role in attempts to remove a number of high-ranking officials and promote people loyal to him. This particularly concerns a corruption case against Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov, the possible replacement of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal with Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and repeated attempts to remove the head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov.

Quote:"There is no evidence Yermak ordered the probe into Chernyshov. For over a year, detectives have been investigating claims that the deputy prime minister’s associates bought cut-price apartments in a project he green-lit. But three officials, speaking anonymously, say that Yermak wielded his influence by deliberately letting the case progress, while freezing others. Chernyshov’s real offence, they claim, was that he got in Yermak’s way. First, he tried to offer himself as an alternative conduit for American relations. Second, his downfall cleared the field for the promotion of Svyrydenko, a politician closely associated with Yermak."

Details : According to The Economist, alongside efforts to replace Prime Minister Shmyhal, personnel changes are planned in the ministries of education, health, culture, social policy and possibly finance. One high-ranking official remarked, "Andrii is completing what he sees as unfinished business. The [vast majority] of the people are his."

The Economist also asserts that Yermak is attempting to remove Ukraine’s spy chief, Kyrylo Budanov, for the ninth time, but he remains in office.

Sources close to Yermak call Budanov an "erratic revolutionary" who is supposedly building his own political team. "Ninety percent of the [president’s] office think he’s mad and ten percent think he’s a genius," one of the insiders reports.

Budanov’s supporters, on the contrary, call him a devoted statesman and one of the few who is able to tell the president an unpleasant truth.

Quote:"But by mid-June, many of them feared Yermak’s ‘ninth try’ at ousting him [Budanov – ed.] would succeed. That turned out to be premature. With his customary mix of coercion and guile, General Budanov secured another stay of execution."

Details : The Economist reports that repeated warnings from the White House not to fire Budanov may have played a role in this, at least for now.

Budanov’s tenure shows that President Zelenskyy still has the final say in personnel decisions, despite Yermak’s significant influence. The Economist notes that Yermak’s power stems more from his close, codependent relationship with Zelenskyy than from any independent political standing.

The Economist writes that Yermak can control a significant part of information flows to President Zelenskyy, up to 85%, according to some estimates, which fosters an atmosphere of rumours and conspiracies in power circles.

Background :

• Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that government reshuffles are planned for July. Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko is expected to be appointed prime minister. Ukrainska Pravda has found that she intends to bring three close associates with her into the government.
• It also emerged that the Ministry of National Unity, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov, could be scrapped.
• Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rustem Umierov will remain in his position when the government changes; his resignation has "lost its initial appeal".

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