Zelensky's Chief of Staff Resigns After Home Searched

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday the resignation of his powerful chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, who was also the country's lead negotiator in talks with the US, after Yermak's residence was searched by anti-corruption investigators. It's being seen as a blow for the Ukrainian leader that risks disrupting his negotiating strategy at a time when Kyiv is under intense US pressure to sign a peace deal nearly four years after Russia's full-scale invasion. Yermak has long been a trusted confidant of Zelensky, who has resisted persistent pressure to replace him; indeed, CNN reports he "has often been seen as Ukraine's second most powerful man."

CNN has this from Zelensky's daily TV address on Friday:

• "I want no one to have any questions about Ukraine today. Therefore, today we have the following internal decisions. First, there will be a reboot of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The head of the office, Andriy Yermak, has written a letter of resignation."

The AP reports Zelensky said he would begin consultations Saturday to appoint a new chief of staff. Yermak's name did not appear on a list of officials that Zelensky said would make up the Ukrainian delegation for the next round of negotiations with the United States. The delegation will now be jointly led by Andrii Hnatov, the head of Ukraine's armed forces; Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister; and Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's security council, Zelensky said. He said negotiations would happen "soon."

Two national agencies fighting corruption in Ukraine said their search targeted Yermak. Oleksii Tkachuk, a spokesperson for Yermak, said the anti-graft agencies had not served Yermak a notice of suspicion, meaning he was not a suspect in an investigation. Yermak was not told what the searches related to, Tkachuk said. Two weeks prior to Friday's raid, the agencies announced a wide-reaching investigation into what CNN calls "an alleged kickback scheme concerning Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure" that has already been linked to two of Zelensky's ministers.