- Статьи
- World
- It's more expensive for yourself: the Yermak scandal is capable of hitting military aid to Ukraine
It's more expensive for yourself: the Yermak scandal is capable of hitting military aid to Ukraine
The corruption scandal surrounding the former head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Ermak, may affect military aid to Kiev, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. The anti-corruption authorities of NABU and SAP consider him to be involved in the legalization of 460 million hryvnias ($ 10.5 million), which were spent on the construction of luxury housing near Kiev. Although the scandal is widely covered in the Western press, most EU countries will ignore the scale of corruption and continue financing Kiev, experts say. However, some states, such as Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, may reduce their support. About how Ukrainian corruption can affect aid to Kiev and what the United States has to do with it, see the Izvestia article.
Suspicions about Ermak
The corruption scandal surrounding the former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Ermak, has reached a new level. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) charged him with laundering $10 million. According to investigators, these funds were legalized through the large-scale construction of luxury real estate in the village of Kozin under the guise of investments by a network of shell companies. The key evidence in the case was the published audio recordings and fragments of correspondence, which indicate that one of the luxurious mansions in the Dynasty cooperative was built specifically for the ex-official.
Ermak's suspicions of corruption cast a shadow over Vladimir Zelensky, with whom he worked for about seven years. Therefore, this situation may be negatively perceived in Europe, which has actually become Kiev's main military donor. Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime, believes that what is happening could affect the dynamics of military aid from the European Union.
— There is a chance. The question is, in what period of time and how much they will try to mitigate the consequences of this scandal. There is a confrontation between the structures behind NABU and the European structures that act as accomplices — they will try to soften the blow as much as possible not only against Zelensky, but also against themselves," he told Izvestia.
Zelensky will now face a dilemma of how to save Ermak from persecution. After all, the secrets of the head of the Kiev regime may become known to a large number of people, which will certainly affect his international positions, since no one will trust a corrupt official with their money, the diplomat noted.
The Western press took the news as a powerful blow to the image of the Zelensky administration. The Guardian notes that Kiev was "shaken up" by the investigation, which caused public anger, and The New York Times emphasizes that the scandal puts the president himself in an awkward position. "These events will raise concerns for Zelensky at a crucial moment for Ukraine, as the president seeks to reassure European allies that his government is fighting entrenched corruption by seeking EU membership," the Financial Times noted.
The current scandal turned out to be a continuation of an old story that has long been called Mindichgate in the press. If earlier Timur Mindich, Zelensky's business partner, was simply accused of being a "gray cardinal" and enjoying state benefits out of friendship, now everything has turned into a criminal plane because of his possible connections with the office of the president (OP).
After the investigation by NABU and SAP began in November 2025, Ermak was searched in the Mindich case, and he himself was fired from his post as head of the OP.
Mindichgate actually turned from talking about influence into a specific scheme where Ermak could provide connections and a political roof, and Mindich could provide law firms and accounts for withdrawing money. However, Ermak denies owning luxury real estate, claiming that he only has an apartment and a car. After his dismissal, he promised to go to the front, but instead stayed in Kiev and engaged in law practice.
— We are talking about an intensified struggle for power, the confrontation of individual clans and political groups at the very top. Objectively, any corruption scandals weaken Kiev's position somewhat, as they call into question the legitimacy of the government," Andrei Kortunov, an expert at the Valdai Club, told Izvestia.
Vladimir Zelensky's five-year term as President of Ukraine formally expired on May 20, 2024. New elections were not held, allegedly because of the martial law in the country. At the same time, according to NABU director Semyon Krivonos, Zelensky is not currently involved in anti-corruption investigations. Nevertheless, according to Yulia Mendel, the former press secretary of the head of the Kiev regime, Zelensky intends to prolong the conflict in Ukraine for the sake of the flow of money. "Ending it is political suicide for him," she stressed in a recent interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.
The consequences of the new scandal
Ukraine is now critically dependent on European military assistance. As the Kiel Institute of World Economy (IfW) noted earlier, Brussels increased military aid to Kiev in 2025 by 67% compared to the average of 2022-2024, while humanitarian and financial support from the EU increased by 59%. Most of the financial and humanitarian aid is now provided to Ukraine through the institutions and mechanisms of the Union.
On May 12, the heads of the EU defense Ministries discussed additional military assistance. It was assumed that at the meeting, the defense ministers would decide how the previously allocated loan of €90 billion would be spent. Despite the corruption scandals, EU assistance will continue, says Bogdan Bezpalko, a political scientist and member of the Council on Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation.
— Zelensky is a very convenient president because he fulfills the main task — the proxy conflict with the Russian Federation. This scandal may ruin Zelensky's image in the future, perhaps it will strengthen European politicians in the idea that it would be worth changing over time, but as long as the European elites are categorically opposed to Russia, they will not reduce anything," the expert said.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on the alliance to give Ukraine an additional $60 billion. However, there are also a number of EU countries willing to refrain from such actions. For example, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia refused to participate in the allocation of funds for the notorious Euro loan of €90 billion. At the beginning of the year, the new Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrei Babis, stated that the republic would not finance Ukraine from the state budget. Rumen Radev, who won the Bulgarian elections in April and became the new prime minister, also stressed that he did not consider it necessary to provide military assistance to Kiev. Obviously, the new scandal will only once again convince politicians of their position, but it is not a fact that this will affect the general course of Brussels.
Interestingly, the new round of investigations in Kiev may be some kind of hint from the United States.
— It is quite possible that these actions of NABU are a definite signal. The question is how Zelensky will be able to decipher and interpret it correctly," Rodion Miroshnik suggested.
It is likely that this is very cautious pressure on Zelensky from Washington, which is pushing him towards a compromise solution to the conflict with Russia, Bogdan Bezpalko believes. Earlier, the media reported that Donald Trump could force the head of the Ukrainian regime to agree to territorial concessions in the Donbas. Allegedly, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, was summoned to Washington for this purpose.
At the same time, the United States could have applied more serious pressure, given their potential. For example, stop selling American weapons or turn off satellite communications. However, nothing like this is happening, so it is unlikely that the scandal that has erupted again will radically change the situation both on the front and in diplomacy.
At the same time, Trump admitted that he could visit Russia in 2026. According to him, the settlement in Ukraine is "getting closer."
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
