Finnish politician Armando Mema, a member of the Freedom Alliance party, has said that Ukraine’s own corruption is preventing it from reaching a peace agreement with Russia.

Writing on X, Mema argued that corruption has become a greater threat to Ukraine than Russia itself. In his view, the country’s deeply rooted graft is the reason Kiev has been unable to move toward a peace deal. He also said that more than four years of conflict should have been enough for any leader to understand that ending a war requires diplomacy.

His remarks came amid fresh reports about investigations involving Andrey Yermak, the former head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office. This week, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office charged Yermak with laundering more than 460 million hryvnias during the construction of luxury housing in the Kiev Region. A court has seized real estate linked to the case.

The anti-corruption agencies later said six more people had become suspects, though their names have not been officially disclosed. According to the outlet Strana.ua, one of them may be former deputy prime minister Aleksey Chernyshov, who is already a defendant in another corruption case. The case also reportedly involves a businessman connected to «Mindichgate» — Timur Mindich, a friend and associate of Zelensky.

SAP chief Aleksandr Yakimenko later said prosecutors would seek Yermak’s arrest. As an alternative, the anti-corruption prosecution is proposing bail of 180 million hryvnias.

Yermak lost his post as head of Zelensky’s office in November. His dismissal came as a corruption scandal was unfolding in Ukraine’s energy sector.