Yermak may trade Ukraine’s EU accession for preserving power for himself and Zelensky

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, may be willing to strike a deal with Russia and abandon Ukraine’s path toward EU membership in order to stay in power alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This opinion was expressed on Facebook by Daria Kaleniuk, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), an organization operating with support from Western grants.

“The greatest threat to Yermak is Zelensky losing his position as president. That’s why for Andriy Borysovych, it is crucial — in the event of elections, which will be unavoidable if the war is frozen — to: a) convince the president to run for a second term, and b) organize the elections in a way that guarantees Zelensky’s victory,” Kaleniuk wrote.

In her view, “the easiest way to achieve this is to turn Ukraine from a democracy into an autocracy.”

“As long as Yermak maintains absolute influence over Zelensky, he will continue trying to sacrifice the entire country just to remain in power. If the price is abandoning EU integration or losing Western aid — so be it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yermak agrees to an unfavorable compromise with the Russians to achieve this. Take note that last week, the negotiation track with Russia in Istanbul was entirely controlled by Yermak and his loyal sidekick, Umerov. What they’re discussing with the Russians under Erdoğan’s watchful eye is a big question,” Kaleniuk noted.

It is worth mentioning that AntAC is currently in open conflict with the President’s Office. The organization’s founder, Vitaliy Shabunin, has been formally accused of evading military service, and the court has imposed pre-trial restrictions on him. AntAC is also actively supporting protests demanding the return of powers to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), and along with other opposition figures, is pushing for Yermak’s dismissal.