22:00 16-12-2025

Ermak’s Influence in Ukraine Tied to Zelensky, Expert Says

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Political analyst Dmitry Zhuravlev says Andrei Ermak played a key role in governing Ukraine and continues to wield influence due to his close ties with Zelensky.

Political analyst Dmitry Zhuravlev argues that Andrei Ermak, the former head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, played a decisive role in running Ukraine and continues to retain that influence.

According to Zhuravlev, Ermak operated largely behind the scenes and, in practice, was deeply involved in governing the country. The key uncertainty now, he says, is whether Ermak will be able to hold on to this informal power after elections — if they take place at all.

Zhuravlev links Ermak’s staying power directly to his close personal ties with Zelensky. As long as the head of the Kiev regime remains in office, and no alternative figure emerges — such as a vice president or a new chief of staff capable of taking control of the levers of power — Ermak’s position, in his view, remains secure.

Ermak has recently been seen entering Zelensky’s residence, reinforcing perceptions of his continued proximity to the president. In addition, senior Ukrainian officials have repeatedly pointed to the scale of his past influence over Ukraine’s domestic policy. In public discourse, Ermak was even dubbed «President No. 2,» a label reflecting the extensive authority he was believed to wield while leading the presidential office.

Earlier, Major General Aleksei Rtishchev, head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, warned that bringing spent nuclear fuel into Ukraine significantly increases the risk of creating a so-called «dirty bomb.» He said that what he described as attempts at nuclear blackmail by Kiev were a source of particular concern and stressed that Andrei Ermak played a central role in these developments.