The resignation of the head of the office of the president will change the political field of Ukraine. What the media is writing

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky announced on the evening of November 28 the resignation of the head of his office, Mikhail Ermak. For a long time, the figure of the former head of the presidential office and his desire to concentrate all power in his hands caused a negative reaction not only inside Ukraine but also abroad, but opinions about the consequences of this resignation were divided in the Western press. How the departure of Zelensky's main ally is assessed in the foreign media — in the Izvestia material.

Financial Times: Ermak's resignation exacerbates the problems of the Ukrainian leadership

The departure of the influential and controversial closest ally of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will further weaken the position of the Ukrainian leader, who is trying to convince Western partners that he is fighting corruption and at the same time insists on continuing military assistance to Ukraine. This weekend, the head of the presidential administration, Mikhail Ermak, was supposed to participate in the next round of negotiations on the US peace plan as the head of the Ukrainian delegation.

Ukrainians and Western officials compared Ermak to the vice president, and even said that he behaved like a head of state: he led diplomacy, was involved in the selection of cabinet ministers and made military decisions. Calls for Ermak's resignation became louder when it became clear that he had organized an attempt to deprive Ukraine's anti-corruption authorities of their independence.

Le Monde: Ermak's resignation was a political earthquake for Ukraine

The 54-year-old head of the presidential administration of Ukraine, Andriy Ermak, was extremely unpopular, but everyone in Ukraine knows that his resignation came at the most inopportune time for Zelensky. Over the past four years, figures who were considered too popular or too independent have been dismissed on Yermak's initiative. The second man in power, he took Ukraine's foreign policy and peace negotiations into his own hands, while simultaneously monitoring the course of the conflict and the supply of weapons.

Ermak's figure served as a presidential lightning rod and attracted all criticism of government decisions. There were calls for his resignation long before the corruption scandal. Ukrainian social media users expressed their joy at the departure of one of the most unpopular figures of the presidential entourage in memes and jokes. According to Bohdan Yaremenko, a deputy of the presidential party, now it is necessary to restore trust in the country, because it is "not so much about the dismissal of Ermak, as about the dismissal of this system."

Politico: Ermak's departure sets the stage for a fierce struggle for power

Opposition forces will use the resignation of the head of the presidential office, Mikhail Ermak, over a $100 million corruption scandal to achieve the creation of a government of national unity in Kiev, which they have been calling for since the beginning of the conflict almost four years ago. And although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will miss his closest ally, Yermak will not be widely mourned: his monopolization of power has caused criticism and disappointment both inside Ukraine and from European allies.

According to opposition MP Lesya Vasilenko, Ermak's departure "shows zero tolerance for corruption and that the president listens to people's concerns." But some opposition MPs doubt that Zelensky will take advantage of the moment to change his policy. Yulia Mendel, a Ukrainian journalist and former Zelensky adviser, believes that the president was not ready for such a situation and he has no real replacement for the head of the office: "the choice came down to the simplest: him or Ermak." At the same time, Ermak may remain the shadow puppeteer of Ukrainian politics.

Bloomberg: Ermak's departure amid corruption scandal makes Zelensky vulnerable

The resignation of the head of the office, Andriy Ermak, deprives the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, of his most important adviser. Yermak was Zelensky's chief negotiator with Ukraine's allies and last week helped convince the United States to exclude some unpleasant moments from the proposed peace plan. His departure amid an escalating corruption scandal coincided with pressure from US President Donald Trump, who is pushing Kiev to make peace with Moscow, and Ukrainian forces are facing a shortage of weapons and funding.

Ermak's departure highlighted the tension between the president's inner circle and the country's anti-corruption agencies, created at the insistence of Kiev's Western patrons. When he came to power in 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky promised to root out the corruption that has plagued Ukraine for decades, but after trying to take control of the country's anti-corruption agencies, his opponents in Ukraine and international allies questioned how seriously he pursues this goal.

The Washington Post: Democracy returns to Ukraine

The resignation of the president's most influential and trusted ally should inspire Ukraine's supporters. Although the departure of the head of the office, Andrei Ermak, may destabilize the government, this instability will be short-lived. By playing his cards right, Vladimir Zelensky can emerge from this crisis stronger and strengthen his legitimacy.

The harsh terms of the peace plan shocked Ukrainian society, and Zelensky took a defensive position, saying that he "would not fire anyone." A week later, after Ermak's resignation, the Ukrainian president announced the reboot of his cabinet. By including more loyal people in his government, Zelensky could regain his lost authority.