As much as the western powers have hailed Volodymyr Zelensky and his government as ‘defenders of democracy’, the reality is far removed from that, as the Kiev regime leader has arrested or banished political adversaries and heavily censored the media, and rules by force of martial law.
Also – an object of dozens of reports – Zelensky’s government is said to be controlled by his grey eminence, Andriy Yermak, the feared head of the President’s Office.
Yesterday (6), in yet another disturbing revelation, the British magazine The Economist published an article titled ‘Ukraine’s political infighting gets nasty’, detailing the escalating internal power struggles within Kiev’s regime, and the ugly role played by Yermak.
The article repeats long-held concerns about Yermak’s growing influence, as opponents warn of ‘authoritarian tendencies.’
The head of the Presidential Office is orchestrating a series of personnel changes in a naked power grab, targeting high-ranking officials and promoting loyalists.
Yermak is linked to a corruption probe targeting Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, and also to a plot to replace Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
But the most controversial moves by the grey eminence are his repeated attempts to Oust Ukrainian top spy Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (GUR).
Budanov is described by Yermak’s allies as an ‘eccentric revolutionary’, while the spy’s supporters view him as ‘a truth-teller unafraid to challenge Zelensky’.
The Economist reported:
“Sources close to Yermak describe GUR chief Budanov as an eccentric revolutionary building his own political machine. ‘Ninety percent of the president’s office thinks he’s crazy, and ten percent think he’s a genius,’ the source says.
[…] By mid-June, many of them feared that Yermak’s ‘ninth try’ at ousting him [Budanov] would succeed. That turned out to be premature. With his customary mix of coercion and guile, General Budanov secured another stay of execution.
Budanov’s allies see him as one of the few people who can tell the president the hard truth.”
The White House has reportedly intervened yet again to protect Budanov.
“Perhaps repeated warnings from the White House not to fire him again helped.”
In fact, Yermak has long been hated by Trump and his administration.
He is seen as ‘abrasive, uninformed about U.S. politics, and overly demanding’, and officials go as far as labeling him an ‘existential liability for Ukraine’.
Politico reported:
“Some also worry he has not accurately conveyed U.S. positions to the leadership back in Ukraine.”
In his June visit to Washington, that lack of appreciation became very clear.
“A meeting between Yermak and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was canceled at the last minute.
[…] Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles kept Yermak waiting in the White House before canceling, the first person familiar with the visit said, while Vice President JD Vance’s office never responded to a request for a meeting.”
But maybe the worst offense for US officials was Yermak’s Role in Trump’s first Impeachment Inquiry.
Yermak was Zelensky’s point of contact with Rudy Giuliani and Kurt Volker, and negotiated a potential public pledge to investigate Burisma.
Daily Mail reported:
”Yermak, 53, was a central figure in the Hunter Biden scandal which saw Trump accused of pressuring Zelensky to dig up dirt on Joe Biden’s family in exchange for military aid – allegations that led to the US president’s impeachment.
[…] Yermak received a call from Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, urging him to open an investigation into Hunter Biden’s role at Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company under scrutiny for corruption.
At the time, Hunter Biden, son of then-US Vice President Joe Biden, was receiving $50,000 per month to sit on Burisma’s board, despite having no experience in the energy sector.
Giuliani and Trump were convinced that exposing wrongdoing at Burisma would damage Joe Biden’s political standing ahead of the 2020 election.
According to a Ukrainian official who spoke to the Telegraph, Yermak was ‘anxious not to be dragged into US domestic politics’ and advised Zelensky to hold off. But his refusal to cooperate infuriated Giuliani and Trump.”
Read more, from May 2024:
UKRAINE DARKNESS: Zelensky’s Mandate Expires Today – Streets Are Empty as Men Hide From New Conscription Law – MSM Questions the Power of Presidential Aide Andy Yermak – Power Outages All Over the Country
Read the full article here