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On November 28, 2025, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak abruptly resigned after anti-corruption investigators searched his apartment and offices. The dramatic exit — coming hours after the raid — lays bare the rot that has spread into the very heart of Kyiv’s wartime leadership. This is not a small scandal; it demands scrutiny from every ally that has poured men and materiel into Ukraine.
Authorities are probing a sprawling corruption scheme tied to the state atomic energy company that investigators say involved roughly $100 million in kickbacks, and Yermak’s name has been linked in reporting even if he has not been formally charged. The searches were carried out by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), a sign that Ukraine’s watchdogs are finally acting — albeit belatedly and under intense political pressure. Americans should note that this is the kind of graft that eats away at military effectiveness and public trust.
Yermak was more than an advisor; he was Ukraine’s point man in the high-stakes negotiations with the United States and a central figure in talks about a peace framework. His departure at this moment throws Kyiv’s negotiating posture into chaos and hands Russia a propaganda victory while allies scramble to keep a coherent strategy intact. Patriotic Americans who want Ukraine to succeed must demand that our partners be clean and competent — not compromised by scandal.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the resignation as a necessary “reset” of his office to avoid distractions ahead of crucial talks, praising Yermak’s service even as he reorganizes his team. That spin won’t reassure critics who have long warned that power has been concentrated among a few insiders and that accountability has too often been performative. Words about reform must be matched by real, transparent prosecutions and systemic change if Western support is to remain credible.
This scandal should prompt a hard conversation in Washington. For years politicians on both sides of the aisle promised unconditional backing for Kyiv; now Americans deserve rigorous oversight of how aid is used and a public accounting of how corruption is being rooted out. It is not unpatriotic to demand that our tax dollars not fund cronyism — it is the duty of patriotic voters to insist on accountability.
To their credit, Ukraine’s anti-graft bodies have stepped into the spotlight, and a number of ministers and officials have already fallen as the probe widened. Still, a single resignation isn’t reform; it’s a reminder that institutional wreckage takes time to fix, and that allies must press for lasting institutions rather than temporary PR moves. The United States and Europe should make clear that support depends on demonstrable results, not just promises.
Americans who back freedom and the brave Ukrainians fighting on the front lines must not let righteous anger be hijacked by corruption at the top. Stand with the people, not the cronies, and demand that Kyiv’s leaders earn their allies’ trust through transparency, prosecutions, and reforms. If Ukraine is to survive and eventually thrive, its champions in the West must pair their courage with clear-eyed accountability.
